Geile/Leon Marketing Communications

Seeing Things Differently

Geile/Leon does a lot of work targeting millennials…we’re always talking about their social media habits, FOMO, brand interaction, decision making processes, etc. What we don’t always focus on is how this generation looks at things differently than their predecessors – especially when it comes to culture and race. Being a millennial myself, it’s honestly something I don’t even think about. So, when I saw this AdWeek article and MTV’s efforts to be “color brave” and start an open conversation, I thought it was pretty cool. MTV launched “The Talk” website featuring a series of PSA’s, information about hidden biases and stereotypes, how to combat racial/gender/LGBT biases and how to turn the conversation into something positive. Not only does this site look really cool, it offers some valuable information on how my generation looks at race/gender/sexuality and where we can make positive changes.

“Millennials believe strongly in fairness, but they can also find it difficult to talk openly about race—to be not simply ‘color blind’ but ‘color brave,'” said Stephen Friedman, president of MTV.  “Our audience is looking for a way to bring the national conversation on race into their homes, and this campaign will give them a forum to express true color bravery.”

So, to help celebrate MLK day, check out the site. It’s a good reminder that we’ve come a long way, but there’s still opportunity to challenge bias.