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Content Creation.
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1) GSK Sensodyne Launch
Client: GSK
Agency: Grey Canada
Product: ISO Active Sensodyne toothpaste
Media: Guerrilla tactical campaign appropriating viral video, PR techniques and blogs.
Awards: ADCC. GSK campaign of the year.
*Nuit Blanche all night arts festival. Canada’s Largest branded 3D mapping projection was created for G.S.K's Sensodyne toothpastes launch. Discussed and featured on over 300 blogs, newspapers, TV shows, web sites worldwide, and viewed digitally by over 6 million people for a $100,000 dollar investment.
Client: GSK
Agency: Grey Canada
Product: ISO Active Sensodyne toothpaste
Media: Guerrilla tactical campaign appropriating viral video, PR techniques and blogs.
Awards: ADCC. GSK campaign of the year.
*Nuit Blanche all night arts festival. Canada’s Largest branded 3D mapping projection was created for G.S.K's Sensodyne toothpastes launch. Discussed and featured on over 300 blogs, newspapers, TV shows, web sites worldwide, and viewed digitally by over 6 million people for a $100,000 dollar investment.
2) El Crayolas Project
The contemporary art exploration called the 'El Crayolas project' is an example of how I create content and succeed in disseminating it through the mass media. This is a 'myth' designed to challenge the public's perception of media communication and ethics. El Crayolas was broadcast on MTV, Televisa, Univision USA, and covered in major newspapers & magazines in Mexico and the Americas. The 'content' generated millions of dollars in earned media coverage for the fictitious brand El Crayolas.
Next exhibit is at in Oaxaca & Tijuana, as part of the show 'Racisim in Mexico', starting in late 2020 and 2021.
Academic papers written around El Crayolas Project include the following: "Semiotics and Visual Communication III: Cultures of Branding“ by Cambridge Scholars in UK.
For more info click here: https://tinyurl.com/w7qkf5d
The birth of El Crayolas
In 2005 I created 'content' by painting 12 canvases reflecting my observations of Mexican culture. To complement the art, an alter ego named 'El Crayolas' was invented, and he became a 'brand.' The 'branded content' was disseminated through a web site elcrayolas.com, Facebook page and exhibited on many billboards, street placards and 450 bus posters across Mexico.
Galleries became interested and displayed El Crayolas' work, creating coverage on the national press, and television/cable channels; MTV, Televisa, and American hispanic network Univision. An actor was hired to portray the 'brand' called El Crayolas, he appeared during gallery openings, and was interviewed by the press.
Over nine years, millions of pesos of free media coverage had been generated through the content created by the El Crayolas brand. I decided to eliminate him, on July 13th 2013 his death was announced in the Mexican magazine Alarma.
On August 15th 2013 an exhibition 'El Crayolas project 2005-2013' opened at the historical La Quinionera Gallery in Mexico City presenting El Crayolas' coverage in the Mass Media. It revealed that he was a fictitious creation by advertising executive Carl W. Jones, this was also reported by the press and television.
It is important to note that the paintings are not the art. The art is when El Crayolas appeared in the mass media.
The El Crayolas project should be viewed through the lens of contemporary art that challenges media ethics in contemporary society. Art pushes the envelope.
A pdf of the project can be downloaded here. For more information on my artistic and academic expression visit Carl W Jones/artist on Facebook
Galleries became interested and displayed El Crayolas' work, creating coverage on the national press, and television/cable channels; MTV, Televisa, and American hispanic network Univision. An actor was hired to portray the 'brand' called El Crayolas, he appeared during gallery openings, and was interviewed by the press.
Over nine years, millions of pesos of free media coverage had been generated through the content created by the El Crayolas brand. I decided to eliminate him, on July 13th 2013 his death was announced in the Mexican magazine Alarma.
On August 15th 2013 an exhibition 'El Crayolas project 2005-2013' opened at the historical La Quinionera Gallery in Mexico City presenting El Crayolas' coverage in the Mass Media. It revealed that he was a fictitious creation by advertising executive Carl W. Jones, this was also reported by the press and television.
It is important to note that the paintings are not the art. The art is when El Crayolas appeared in the mass media.
The El Crayolas project should be viewed through the lens of contemporary art that challenges media ethics in contemporary society. Art pushes the envelope.
A pdf of the project can be downloaded here. For more information on my artistic and academic expression visit Carl W Jones/artist on Facebook
The paintings by El Crayolas/ Las pinturas de El Crayolas
Mass media observes El Crayolas and his work/Los medios y El Crayolas
Medium: Digital broadcast through cable
Channel: MTV Latin America
Observation: 5 x 2 minute news capsules interviewing El Crayolas in person.
Channel: MTV Latin America
Observation: 5 x 2 minute news capsules interviewing El Crayolas in person.
Medium: Analogue and digital mass television
Channel: USA Hispanic TV Network Univision came to Mexico to interview El Crayolas for a news segment .
Channel: USA Hispanic TV Network Univision came to Mexico to interview El Crayolas for a news segment .
Medium: Analogue and digital mass television
Channel: Televisa Television program named Brozo. One of Mexico's most watched shows
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Channel: Televisa Television program named Brozo. One of Mexico's most watched shows
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El Crayolas project 2005-2013.
The artist Carl W. Jones asks: “Is contemporary art authentic, or a manufactured commodity product, sold to an ill-informed capitalist consumer?”
In 2005, to answer this question, Jones appropiated Advertising and Contemporary Art 'tools and techniques' to create an artistic product, titled El Crayolas. This ‘brand’ was circulated through out the contemporary art world via: art exhibits, billboards, street posters, magazine and newspaper articles.
The objective was to make the ‘artistic product’ real and authentic, by creating ‘content’, that was appropriated by the metamedia, and broadcast to the masses during the last nine years. These ‘published messages’ have now become the ‘art’.
Communication theorist Marshall McLuhan stated “the medium is the message”, therefore in this exhibition the original messages are presented in the exact medium in which they were first published.
The El Crayolas project demonstrates that artists in the 21st century are not made of genius, but are a ‘commodity product’ created by a consort of: curators, critics, gallery owners, journalists, marketers, and public relations using the metamedia.
In 2005, to answer this question, Jones appropiated Advertising and Contemporary Art 'tools and techniques' to create an artistic product, titled El Crayolas. This ‘brand’ was circulated through out the contemporary art world via: art exhibits, billboards, street posters, magazine and newspaper articles.
The objective was to make the ‘artistic product’ real and authentic, by creating ‘content’, that was appropriated by the metamedia, and broadcast to the masses during the last nine years. These ‘published messages’ have now become the ‘art’.
Communication theorist Marshall McLuhan stated “the medium is the message”, therefore in this exhibition the original messages are presented in the exact medium in which they were first published.
The El Crayolas project demonstrates that artists in the 21st century are not made of genius, but are a ‘commodity product’ created by a consort of: curators, critics, gallery owners, journalists, marketers, and public relations using the metamedia.
The press discovers the truth behind El Crayolas/La Prensa descubre la verdad
The press reacted favourably to the El Crayolas concept. It was reported in daily national newspaper La Journada on pages 2 & 3 and created a sensation. A television program La Mezcladora about Mexican contemporary artists featured a segment on El Crayolas Project 2005-2013 , soon after El's story appeared on British Creative Social blog and on other media channels.
On the television program La Mezcladora the El Crayolas Project is revealed. Interview starts at 7 mins and 45 sec into the episode.
Artistic Statement.
Communications are composed of messages that are sent through a particular medium. Every message has a purpose, to either: inform, persuade, or manipulate. My experience has taught me that communictions are designed with the same tools artists use to create artworks.
My creative process and concepts are inspired by two decades of marketing experience, and the study of both Communication and Advertising theory. Then I appropiate advertising tools and techniques to compose artistic messages.
The objective of my explorations are to inform the public of how messages are constructed and received, so that the viewer will be empowered to interpret the true meaning behind the communications that they are receiving through various metamedia.
Carl Jones.
My creative process and concepts are inspired by two decades of marketing experience, and the study of both Communication and Advertising theory. Then I appropiate advertising tools and techniques to compose artistic messages.
The objective of my explorations are to inform the public of how messages are constructed and received, so that the viewer will be empowered to interpret the true meaning behind the communications that they are receiving through various metamedia.
Carl Jones.
Introducción: Carl W. Jones. El Crayolas Proyecto 2005-2013.
Carl W. Jones, artista, se hace la siguiente pregunta: ¿Qué tan auténtico es el arte, o es tan solo una mercancía manufacturada para vender a consumidores capitalistas mal informados?
Para responder a esta interrogante, en 2005 Carl se apropió de las herramientas y técnicas procedentes de la publicidad y el arte contemporáneo para crear un “producto artístico” titulado El Crayolas. Esta “marca” fue puesta en circulación en toda la escena artística contemporánea, a través de: exposiciones artísticas, carteleras espectaculares, carteles urbanos y artículos de revistas y periódicos.
El objetivo era lograr que “el producto artístico” pareciera real y auténtico, creando un “contenido” que pudiera ser apropiado por los medios especializados y transmitido a las masas a lo largo de los últimos nueve años. Estos “mensajes públicos” se convirtieron en la “obra artística”.
El teórico de la comunicación Marshall Mcluhan afirmó: “El medio es el mensaje”; por tanto en esta exposición los mensajes originales son presentados exactamente en el medio en que fueron hechos públicos por vez primera.
El proyecto El Crayolas demuestra que los artistas del siglo XXI no son producto del genio, sino que son un “producto mercantil” creado por un consorcio de: curadores, galeristas, periodistas, mercadólogos y publirrelacionistas que utilizan los medios especializados.
ACADEMIA: Encantado de tener mi último capítulo 'Codificación de una marca personal usando semiótica: un estudio de caso' ahora se ha publicado en este volumen colectivo: "Semiótica y comunicación visual III: Culturas de marca" por Cambridge Scholars en el Reino Unido.
Haz click aqui: https://tinyurl.com/w7qkf5d
Pronunciamiento del artista Carl W. Jones.
Creo que las comunicaciones están integradas por mensajes que se envían a través de un medio específico, y que cada mensaje tiene un propósito que puede ser: informar, persuadir o manipular. La experiencia me ha enseñado que las comunicaciones han sido diseñadas con las mismas herramientas que utilizan los artistas para crear obras de arte.
Mi proceso creativo surge a partir de 30 años de experiencia en mercadotecnia y en teoría de la comunicación la cual ilumina mis conceptos. Posteriormente me apropio de las herramientas y técnicas de la publicidad para componer mensaje artísticos.
El objetivo de mis experimentos es informar al público de cómo se construyen y reciben los mensajes, de manera que el espectador se sienta empoderado para interpretar el verdadero significado que está detrás de las comunicaciones que recibe a través de varios medios especializados.
Para responder a esta interrogante, en 2005 Carl se apropió de las herramientas y técnicas procedentes de la publicidad y el arte contemporáneo para crear un “producto artístico” titulado El Crayolas. Esta “marca” fue puesta en circulación en toda la escena artística contemporánea, a través de: exposiciones artísticas, carteleras espectaculares, carteles urbanos y artículos de revistas y periódicos.
El objetivo era lograr que “el producto artístico” pareciera real y auténtico, creando un “contenido” que pudiera ser apropiado por los medios especializados y transmitido a las masas a lo largo de los últimos nueve años. Estos “mensajes públicos” se convirtieron en la “obra artística”.
El teórico de la comunicación Marshall Mcluhan afirmó: “El medio es el mensaje”; por tanto en esta exposición los mensajes originales son presentados exactamente en el medio en que fueron hechos públicos por vez primera.
El proyecto El Crayolas demuestra que los artistas del siglo XXI no son producto del genio, sino que son un “producto mercantil” creado por un consorcio de: curadores, galeristas, periodistas, mercadólogos y publirrelacionistas que utilizan los medios especializados.
ACADEMIA: Encantado de tener mi último capítulo 'Codificación de una marca personal usando semiótica: un estudio de caso' ahora se ha publicado en este volumen colectivo: "Semiótica y comunicación visual III: Culturas de marca" por Cambridge Scholars en el Reino Unido.
Haz click aqui: https://tinyurl.com/w7qkf5d
Pronunciamiento del artista Carl W. Jones.
Creo que las comunicaciones están integradas por mensajes que se envían a través de un medio específico, y que cada mensaje tiene un propósito que puede ser: informar, persuadir o manipular. La experiencia me ha enseñado que las comunicaciones han sido diseñadas con las mismas herramientas que utilizan los artistas para crear obras de arte.
Mi proceso creativo surge a partir de 30 años de experiencia en mercadotecnia y en teoría de la comunicación la cual ilumina mis conceptos. Posteriormente me apropio de las herramientas y técnicas de la publicidad para componer mensaje artísticos.
El objetivo de mis experimentos es informar al público de cómo se construyen y reciben los mensajes, de manera que el espectador se sienta empoderado para interpretar el verdadero significado que está detrás de las comunicaciones que recibe a través de varios medios especializados.
Arte en las calles. 2008.
Art in the streets. 2008.
Art in the streets. 2008.
Galeria Films art opening. Mexico D.F.
Julio 2007, July 2007.
Julio 2007, July 2007.
Mexican news talks about the El Crayolas Project on Channel 22 in Mexico City.
Noticias en Canal 22 platicaron del Proyecto El Crayolas .
Noticias en Canal 22 platicaron del Proyecto El Crayolas .
3) Exposición Pirata: Fase 1/Pirate Exhibition: Phase 1. July 22 to 26th 2016
Casa de Cultura San Rafael. Mexico City.
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Carl W. Jones asks "How can artists get their paintings into top museums around the world without becoming a branded construct?" To answer this question, Jones performed the art practice of interventions, which were held in major Art Museums in London, Toronto and Mexico City. With the objective of exposing ‘not so famous’ artworks within private or publicly funded art institutions.
Currently these institutions display multimillion-dollar artworks that are a ‘commodity product’ created by a consort of: curators, critics, gallery owners, journalists, marketers, and Public Relations using the metamedia. It is impossible for ordinary artists to display their work in national museums, so Jones decided to expose his work through the art practise of intervention. He challenged the art establishment by printing one of six of his paintings onto the backs of white t-shirts. While wearing the t-shirt and holding a display card the artist or assistant would stand in a museum gallery along side the established art, allowing the public to be exposed to this unknown artwork as if it were part of the museum collection. This intervention was recorded on geo tagged photographs, and shared through a social media platform called SWARM. The exhibition presents a record of phase 1: printed t-shirts; display cards; and photographic evidence of this on-going intervention. An artists talk was delivered on July 26th at 7pm where Jones explained how museums are a manufactured concept designed to display the wealth of Nation States and their colonies. Pirate Exhibition: Phase 1 is a stand against the complicated systems that exist in the art world, so that artists can take control. |
Carl W. Jones pregunta "¿Cómo puede un artista llevar sus obras a los principales museos de todo el mundo sin ser una marca construida?”. Para responder a esta pregunta, Jones realizó la práctica de la intervención y la llevó a cabo en los principales museos de arte en Londres, Toronto y la Ciudad de México; con el objetivo de exponer obras de arte 'no tan famosas' dentro de instituciones de arte públicas y privadas.
Actualmente estas instituciones exhiben obras de varios millones de dólares que son un "producto mercantil" creado por consorcios de curadores, críticos, galeristas, periodistas, comerciantes y publirrelacionistas que utilizan medios especializados. De esta forma, es imposible que artistas “ordinarios” puedan mostrar su trabajo en museos nacionales, por lo que Jones decidió exponer su trabajo a través del arte de la intervención. Jones imprimió una de sus seis pinturas sobre la espalda de playeras blancas. Mientras vestía la playera y, acompañado de una ficha técnica, el artista o su asistente compartían el mismo espacio del arte establecido dentro de la galería o museo, esto permitía al público estar expuesto a una obra de arte desconocida como si fuera parte de la colección. Esta intervención se registró con fotografías y geolocalización. También fueron compartidas a través de una plataforma de redes sociales llamada SWARM. La exposición presenta hoy un registro de la Fase 1: playeras impresas; tarjetas de la exhibición; y la evidencia fotográfica de esta intervención. Exposición Pirata: Fase 1 es una afrenta contra el sistema de arte para que los artistas tomen el control. |
4) Racism/Racismo. 2018.2020.2021.
Carl's observations on Racism in Mexico are reflected on 4 paintings exhibited in this travelling museum show. First presented at El Museo de la Ciudad de Mexico in 2018. Followed by Oaxaca in 2022, to be followed by Tijuana in 2023 or 2024. More info can be had here: www.exhibirelracismo.mx
5) Digital Gaze/Mirada Digital. 2019. 2020
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Currently consumers generate inquiries through search engine software, and free applications, whose responses are delivered on electronic devices to the end user. This leads to questions of power, political economy and ideology; how democratic is the digital gaze? This exploration is reflected through a paper, and accompanying art pieces asks how and why digital technology affects the representation of the nude body through its electronic translation?
The paper explores the gaze as it is viewed through digital devices by focusing on Google and its ‘free’ apps; Google translate, and nation state specific ‘Google.com search’ home pages. The software applications will be examined through the lens of a propaganda tool, by observing how the UK and US propagandize their ideology, social and cultural values. Edward Bernays, in his book Propaganda stated that in order to have democracy the masses needed to be controlled, and Google software is a contemporary solution to execute that. The accompanying photographic and video art pieces to this paper continues to explore the digital gaze by asking how digital technology affects the representation of the nude through its electronic translation. This observation applied to Google raises the question, is the digital gaze a heterosexual male gaze? |
La Mirada Digital 11 de enero 2020, hasta finales de Enero 2020.Espacio Monca en Mexico City. Digital Gaze January 2020 Espacio Monca in Mexico City.(info in link below)
mas info aqui: https://www.facebook.com/pg/carlwjonesart/events/?ref=page_internal.
Cracking the Established Order PACE Building, De Montfort University, Leicester. 27 – 28th June 2019. (see article below for more info)
"Interrogating Democracy in the Digital Gaze" the process and artwork as published in The International Journal of Creative Media Research.
6) Eliminar el racismo de la publicidad #RacismoNeon
English below
Julio 19 2022.
SI LA PUBLICIDAD REFLEJA LA SOCIEDAD, ENTONCES LA PUBLICIDAD ES RACISTA.
Esta semana en varias colonias de la Ciudad de México han aparecido carteles desafiando a las agencias de publicidad a producir mensajes y contenidos menos racistas. Con encabezados como 'Los blancos son el 10% de la población, pero están en el 70% de los anuncios'.
Algunas marcas mexicanas deciden presentar modelos de piel clara para representar sus productos mexicanos, ya sea desde cerveza hasta ropa de diseñador. Esta llamada “publicidad aspiracional” se ha convertido en una práctica común para la mayoría de las agencias de publicidad en México, y el publicista Carl Jones, quien también es investigador del Royal College of Art de Londres, quiere que las agencias de publicidad se den cuenta que el hecho de seleccionar modelos de piel clara para sus campañas o presentación de productos es sinonimo del pensamiento racista y colonialista, imponiendo la superioridad blanca en los mensajes publicitarios.
Bajo el hashtag y las páginas de redes sociales #RacismoNeon, Carl ha creado siete diferentes carteles impresos en papel de neón que se colocan en lugares donde se encuentran varias agencias de publicidad y sus clientes, como la Colonia Condesa y la Roma. Un cartel tambien dice “La publicidad sólo muestra la cultura indígena en anuncios
de caridad”.
Jones considera que es tiempo de que la publicidad en México evolucione, y ayude a reflejar a la población Mexicana como realmente es. Señala que:
“Necesitamos aprender a eliminar el pensamiento colonialista del proceso creativo para que la publicidad no refleje dicho modelo de pensamiento, sin embargo, hay algunas campañas publicitarias que intentan ser más inclusivas, como la cerveza Victoria “Dia de los muertos” que celebra la cultura mexicana mientras presenta actores y modelos de tez más oscura” Jones observa que “para eliminar el racismo de la publicidad, sugiere que las agencias publicitarias reflejen la cultura tal como es, y no como las marcas pretenden que sea la cultura mexicana”
Las páginas de 'Racismo Neon' están en Twitter, Instagram y Facebook y presentan los carteles para que la gente comente y opine. Estos posters y campaña en las redes sociales están diseñados para generar conversación entre los trabajadores de la industria de la publicidad y hacer que discutan las formas de eliminar el pensamiento colonialista.
Como solución, Jones propone a sus colegas del medio hacer un cambio dentro de las agencias de publicidad, las cuales están dominadas por hombres blancos en los puestos más altos. Aunque cada vez hay más mujeres obteniendo estos roles, es necesario que haya más equilibrio de género y se necesita mucha más diversidad racial. Tambien es necesario cambiar el casting de actores para anuncios, donde la típica convocatoria pide “look latinoamericano internacional”, que se refiere a modelos que tienen piel clara, rasgos europeos, cabello y ojos oscuros.
Finalmente, Jones propone que los organismos que vigilan y regulan la publicidad en Mexico sean más proactivos, creando lineamientos específicos que guíen a la industria publicitaria antes de que los anuncios sigan replicando ideas colonialistas.
Estas soluciones ayudarán a fomentar mensajes inclusivos y a erradicar el pensamiento colonialista de la publicidad. ###
SI LA PUBLICIDAD REFLEJA LA SOCIEDAD, ENTONCES LA PUBLICIDAD ES RACISTA.
Esta semana en varias colonias de la Ciudad de México han aparecido carteles desafiando a las agencias de publicidad a producir mensajes y contenidos menos racistas. Con encabezados como 'Los blancos son el 10% de la población, pero están en el 70% de los anuncios'.
Algunas marcas mexicanas deciden presentar modelos de piel clara para representar sus productos mexicanos, ya sea desde cerveza hasta ropa de diseñador. Esta llamada “publicidad aspiracional” se ha convertido en una práctica común para la mayoría de las agencias de publicidad en México, y el publicista Carl Jones, quien también es investigador del Royal College of Art de Londres, quiere que las agencias de publicidad se den cuenta que el hecho de seleccionar modelos de piel clara para sus campañas o presentación de productos es sinonimo del pensamiento racista y colonialista, imponiendo la superioridad blanca en los mensajes publicitarios.
Bajo el hashtag y las páginas de redes sociales #RacismoNeon, Carl ha creado siete diferentes carteles impresos en papel de neón que se colocan en lugares donde se encuentran varias agencias de publicidad y sus clientes, como la Colonia Condesa y la Roma. Un cartel tambien dice “La publicidad sólo muestra la cultura indígena en anuncios
de caridad”.
Jones considera que es tiempo de que la publicidad en México evolucione, y ayude a reflejar a la población Mexicana como realmente es. Señala que:
“Necesitamos aprender a eliminar el pensamiento colonialista del proceso creativo para que la publicidad no refleje dicho modelo de pensamiento, sin embargo, hay algunas campañas publicitarias que intentan ser más inclusivas, como la cerveza Victoria “Dia de los muertos” que celebra la cultura mexicana mientras presenta actores y modelos de tez más oscura” Jones observa que “para eliminar el racismo de la publicidad, sugiere que las agencias publicitarias reflejen la cultura tal como es, y no como las marcas pretenden que sea la cultura mexicana”
Las páginas de 'Racismo Neon' están en Twitter, Instagram y Facebook y presentan los carteles para que la gente comente y opine. Estos posters y campaña en las redes sociales están diseñados para generar conversación entre los trabajadores de la industria de la publicidad y hacer que discutan las formas de eliminar el pensamiento colonialista.
Como solución, Jones propone a sus colegas del medio hacer un cambio dentro de las agencias de publicidad, las cuales están dominadas por hombres blancos en los puestos más altos. Aunque cada vez hay más mujeres obteniendo estos roles, es necesario que haya más equilibrio de género y se necesita mucha más diversidad racial. Tambien es necesario cambiar el casting de actores para anuncios, donde la típica convocatoria pide “look latinoamericano internacional”, que se refiere a modelos que tienen piel clara, rasgos europeos, cabello y ojos oscuros.
Finalmente, Jones propone que los organismos que vigilan y regulan la publicidad en Mexico sean más proactivos, creando lineamientos específicos que guíen a la industria publicitaria antes de que los anuncios sigan replicando ideas colonialistas.
Estas soluciones ayudarán a fomentar mensajes inclusivos y a erradicar el pensamiento colonialista de la publicidad. ###
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6) Carl Jones places 4,000 posters as part of a visual activism campaign to eliminate racism from Mexicana advertising.
August 1st 2022.
Over the last few weeks in various neighbourhoods around Mexico City over 4,000 posters have appeared challenging the advertising community to produce less racist messaging. With headlines such as ‘Whites are 10% of the population but are in 70% of the ads’ or “If advertising reflects society, then advertising is racist.”
Some Mexican brands choose to feature light skinned models to represent their Mexican products, ranging from beer to designer clothing. This so-called “aspirational advertising” has become common practice for most advertising agencies in Mexico, and former Creative Director and scholar Carl Jones wants agencies to realize that they are re-enforcing racist and colonial thinking by selecting models with light skin to appear in the majority of advertising messages. This activist campaign is part of his PhD research into decolonising Advertising.
Under the hashtag and social media pages #RacismoNeon’ (Neon Racism) Carl has created seven different posters printed on neon paper that are placed in locations where many ad agencies and their clients are located, such as Colonia Condesa, and La Roma. One poster placed by a local agency says “Advertising only shows indigenous culture in charity ads.’
Jones believes that it is time for advertising in Mexico to evolve, and help reflect the Mexican population as it really is. He notes that:
“We need to remove colonial thinking from the creative process so that advertising will not reflect racism, classism, misogyny etc, In-order to accomplish this my research concludes that Mexican advertising agencies should reflect the culture as it is, and not how brands pretend Mexican culture to be”
The ‘Racismo Neon’ social media pages are on Twitter, Instagram y Facebook are designed to create conversation amongst workers in the advertising industry and have them discuss ways to remove colonial thinking such as white superiority from advertising messages.
As a solution Jones suggests a change within actual advertising agencies, which are dominated by mostly light skinned males in top positions. Even though more women are obtaining these roles, there needs to be more of a gender balance, and far more racial diversity is needed. Also in the hiring of actors is where racism can also occur, where the typical ‘casting call’ asks for “International Latin American look’ which refers to models that have light skin.
Finally, Jones suggests that regulatory bodies that govern advertising should be more proactive, creating specific rules that guide the ad industry before adverts become offensive.
These solutions will help encourage inclusive messages and eliminate colonial thinking from advertising.
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Carl Jones Research Publications:
News: https://theconversation.com/how-mexican-advertising-featuring-rich-white-people-perpetuates-racism-and-classism-106655
News: https://theconversation.com/brands-may-support-black-lives-matter-but-advertising-still-needs-to-decolonise-133394
Chapter:
Jones, C.W. (2019). Racism and Classism in Mexican Advertising. In: Olteanu, A., Stables, A., Borţun, D. (eds) Meanings & Co.. Numanities - Arts and Humanities in Progress, vol 6. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-91986-7_13
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-91986-7_13
Over the last few weeks in various neighbourhoods around Mexico City over 4,000 posters have appeared challenging the advertising community to produce less racist messaging. With headlines such as ‘Whites are 10% of the population but are in 70% of the ads’ or “If advertising reflects society, then advertising is racist.”
Some Mexican brands choose to feature light skinned models to represent their Mexican products, ranging from beer to designer clothing. This so-called “aspirational advertising” has become common practice for most advertising agencies in Mexico, and former Creative Director and scholar Carl Jones wants agencies to realize that they are re-enforcing racist and colonial thinking by selecting models with light skin to appear in the majority of advertising messages. This activist campaign is part of his PhD research into decolonising Advertising.
Under the hashtag and social media pages #RacismoNeon’ (Neon Racism) Carl has created seven different posters printed on neon paper that are placed in locations where many ad agencies and their clients are located, such as Colonia Condesa, and La Roma. One poster placed by a local agency says “Advertising only shows indigenous culture in charity ads.’
Jones believes that it is time for advertising in Mexico to evolve, and help reflect the Mexican population as it really is. He notes that:
“We need to remove colonial thinking from the creative process so that advertising will not reflect racism, classism, misogyny etc, In-order to accomplish this my research concludes that Mexican advertising agencies should reflect the culture as it is, and not how brands pretend Mexican culture to be”
The ‘Racismo Neon’ social media pages are on Twitter, Instagram y Facebook are designed to create conversation amongst workers in the advertising industry and have them discuss ways to remove colonial thinking such as white superiority from advertising messages.
As a solution Jones suggests a change within actual advertising agencies, which are dominated by mostly light skinned males in top positions. Even though more women are obtaining these roles, there needs to be more of a gender balance, and far more racial diversity is needed. Also in the hiring of actors is where racism can also occur, where the typical ‘casting call’ asks for “International Latin American look’ which refers to models that have light skin.
Finally, Jones suggests that regulatory bodies that govern advertising should be more proactive, creating specific rules that guide the ad industry before adverts become offensive.
These solutions will help encourage inclusive messages and eliminate colonial thinking from advertising.
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Carl Jones Research Publications:
News: https://theconversation.com/how-mexican-advertising-featuring-rich-white-people-perpetuates-racism-and-classism-106655
News: https://theconversation.com/brands-may-support-black-lives-matter-but-advertising-still-needs-to-decolonise-133394
Chapter:
Jones, C.W. (2019). Racism and Classism in Mexican Advertising. In: Olteanu, A., Stables, A., Borţun, D. (eds) Meanings & Co.. Numanities - Arts and Humanities in Progress, vol 6. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-91986-7_13
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-91986-7_13
