| Brief | For black parents, “The Talk” isn’t about the birds and the bees. Instead, it’s a must-have conversation in which they prepare their children for a prejudiced world. P&G wanted to authentically connect with African-American consumers and use its advertising voice for good; this conversation appeared as a natural choice to spark a wider discussion about race. With that, “The Talk” campaign was born. The campaign utilized the power of entertainment to shine a light on the vital conversations that have taken place in black families for generations. In launching “The Talk,” we hoped to not only connect P&G to black consumers, but more importantly, promote dialogue, drive understanding, and increase equality.Our campaign carried tremendous social responsibility, so a tactful and honest introduction of real family conversations was crucial. We knew that bringing our message to life for black audiences first would be the key to broader receptiveness. We pinpointed where black consumers felt most comfortable having this dialogue and integrated the message of “The Talk” in familiar, authentic spaces with maximum reach. But to effect change, we also had to bring our message to a wide audience.“The Talk” began on black-owned national radio shows with credible talent like Rickey Smiley and Erica Campbell sharing experiences of racial bias. We continued with TV programming known for engagement with black audiences, including a captivating speech at the BET Awards, a donation at BET’s Black Girls Rock!, and special mention from Oprah Winfrey on the finale of OWN's Queen Sugar. Finally, the conversation leapt into the broader cultural zeitgeist via a groundbreaking intertwining of advertising, entertainment, and social issues. We launched an integration with ABC's "Black-ish" featuring our moving two-minute film embedded within the show. It reflected "The Talk" through generations of black families, in an episode inspired by those conversations. |