The two prior installments of this column discussed the racial diversity program Spectrum Speakers and the socially progressive Rock The Vote Action Group. Both worthy endeavors got me to thinking of advertising/communications legend Jay Chiat, who recently passed away. While reflections on Chiat in trade and consumer press obits and stories centered on his creative legacy (SHOOT, 5/3, p. 7), there was another professional side to him that I was reminded of when reporting on the Spectrum Speakers and the Rock The Vote developments.
The latter triggered my memory in that TBWA/Chiat/Day is part of the Rock The Vote Action Group (SHOOT, 5/10, p. 1). The commitment of the Action Group to do good—not just good advertising and branded content—struck me as a cause that Chiat would have heartily endorsed and supported, with his agency’s time, energy and talent. It’s fitting that the ad shop he co-founded was brought into the Action Group by Pam Tarr, president/ founder of Squeak Pictures. Squeak and Rock The Vote entered into a long-term production partnership, which led to the formation of a broader based coalition, the Action Group.
Chuck McBride, executive creative director of TBWA/ Chiat/Day, summed up the importance and relevance of the Action Group effort: "I want to see if we can seed ideas, inspire and cooperate with screenwriters, directors and producers to find a way to bring the notion of politically active youth to life—through the creation of content that young people can relate to and feel empowered by. … We have long forgotten the days when the American campus was a hotbed of political thinking. Instead, kids have become somewhat apathetic, uninvolved, disinterested, and skeptical of the political process. Our goal is for them to realize that their actions and involvement can make a positive difference in our society."
Also looking to make a positive impact is the Spectrum Speakers program, which offers mentoring programs whereby agency professionals are available to African-American students—and older people looking to make a career change—for guidance and advice relative to breaking into the advertising arena. Via Spectrum Speakers, agency pros also visit schools to make kids and young people aware of career opportunities in advertising. Spectrum Speakers lead coordinator Ed Crayton, a freelance copywriter, noted that the diversity program is needed to help bring more people of color into the industry, particularly into agency creative departments. Part of the problem, he related, is that many African-Americans aren’t even considering advertising as a career option to begin with—and they need to be made aware of the possibilities that exist in this field.
I know Chiat would have embraced this cause—because he did many years ago, introducing me as a SHOOT reporter to one of the first programs of its kind, in the early 1990s. The Minority Advertising Training (MAT) Program was designed to offer experience and support to minority people who aspire to careers in advertising. MAT trained minority students and then helped them gain internships at ad agencies, radio and TV stations, and media buying services, for a paid 13-week, on-the-job education.
MAT, which later gained sponsorship from the Western States Advertising Agencies Association and the Advertising Club of Los Angeles, was launched when Chiat pledged personal funds, as well as financial backing from his agency, in ’91. As I recall, MAT’s administrative office was based on the then Chiat/Day/Mojo premises, Venice, Calif.
As reported in SHOOT, MAT graduates have gone on to land jobs in advertising—and their positive contributions and impact on others represent a legacy rivaling that left behind in the body of stellar ad work created and nurtured by Jay Chiat.
