God-is Rivera has been promoted to director of inclusion and cultural resonance at VML, a newly created position within the agency.
In 2016, Rivera joined VML’s social media practice, and has since pushed for a wide range of perspectives both within the work and across the agency.
“There is nothing more important to us as a VML family than ensuring all VMLers have the opportunity to thrive in a diverse and inclusive workplace. And that our client partners can experience the level of perspective in our work that results from that type of agency,” said Jon Cook, global CEO. “God-is has been making this type of impact in her work across VML since the day she started. But it became clear that we needed to formalize and expand this as a new, official role to truly continue the momentum and needed progress we want as an agency in this critical aspect of our culture and capability. I could not be more excited about the role and about God-is being the one who embodies it.”
Rivera will focus on enriching an atmosphere of inclusion at VML, from internal communication and education efforts to building partnerships in the communities that VML offices serve. She will also continue to stay connected to client work.
As a member of the HR team, Rivera will:
- Focus on expanding the foundation and spirit of inclusivity in VML’s internal culture and offices so employees feel safe, comfortable and open to learning about, considering and supporting diverse perspectives.
- Examine and expand hiring practices–from researching diverse talent pools and sources to developing programs aimed at increasing diverse candidates.
- Create and shape practices and methodologies that ensure inclusion within agency work and outputs.
Rivera recently led “Woke, Lit & Ready,” a presentation that explores the immense influence Black Twitter has had on American culture, for several audiences including the Social Media and Diversity Steering committees of the American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A’s). She is spearheading a panel on the topic at Advertising Week NY on Sept. 26.
Rivera is also one of three finalists for this year’s AdColor Change Agent award and was featured by the 4A’s in “Beyond the Brief.”
Rivera will report to Ronnie Felder, VML’s managing director of human resources.
Eleanor Adds Director Candice Vernon To Its Roster For Spots and Branded Content
Director Candice Vernon has joined production house Eleanor for U.S. representation spanning commercials and branded content. She has already wrapped several jobs at Eleanor, which waited to announce her until they had a body of work together.
Via Eleanor, Vernon made history as the first Black director on a Febreze commercial. The “Small Spaces” campaign marks a major departure from Febreze’s typical blue-and-white world. The home of the “Revolving Door” commercial is a beautiful array of bold sunset hues, African prints, and African art.
Vernon said, “I asked myself, what feels right to me? What feels new? I wanted to bring an essence of not just Black Americans but the full diaspora. I wanted to make a statement that we’re not a monolith.”
Following the success of the “Small Spaces” campaign, Febreze brought Vernon back for a comedy-infused trifecta exploring the hilarious situations that call for an air freshening hero.
Febreze Brand VP Angelica Matthews said, “About two years ago, we realized the consumers that were the most loyal to Febreze were the African American consumers. And the more we learned, the more we realized the richness that we were really missing. So we said we have to go beyond just Black casting, we need to get Black directors that truly understand the culture that truly understand how to bring authentic performances out on screen. We really looked around the industry and noticed there’s actually a shortage of African American directors who have experience doing commercials. When we all saw Candice’s reel, we could all tell the passion for the craft, passion for really trying to help us from where we are to where we’re trying to go.”
Vernon brings a unique lens to... Read More