A Week in Creative: Jay Z’s Monogram calls out drug hypocrisy and Burger King leaves a bad taste
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Burger King’s IWD ad backfired
Welcome to A Week in Creative, a handpicked selection of the most interesting campaigns to come out of The Drum’s Creative Works in the past week. If this list doesn’t quench your creative thirst, then please visit our A Week in Creative hub.
Shock tactics
Considering only 24% of chef positions in the US are occupied by women, the Burger King Foundation decided to mark International Women’s Day with a culinary scholarship program to bring more women to leadership positions in the industry.
While the act was well-intentioned, the delivery was widely condemned for using the well-known sexist trope that ’Women belong in the kitchen’ to get its message across.
Appearing both in print and on its Twitter account, Burger King was forced to apologize for the tweet, which has consequently been deleted.
We hear you. We got our initial tweet wrong and we’re sorry. Our aim was to draw attention to the fact that only 20% of professional chefs in UK kitchens are women and to help change that by awarding culinary scholarships. We will do better next time.
— Burger King (@BurgerKingUK) March 8, 2021
Legalize it, don’t criticize it
Shawn ’Jay Z’ Carter’s cannabis brand Monogram is laying out the ridiculous hypocrisy of America’s drug policy in a series of digital and out-of-home (OOH) ads created by Mischief @ No Fixed Address.
The campaign reflects on all the things that are legal in states where weed is not. Such as how weed is a federal crime in states where sex with farm animals isn’t. Or that you can marry your first cousin in more states than you can buy recreational weed.
Effortlessly cool in black and white, the ads picture real people who have been charged with cannabis-related crimes.
Mum’s mental health matters
Mars’s Maltesers has a knack for talking about difficult topics using its product as a prop. This time it is tackling the ups and downs of motherhood, with a campaign that supports ’mum’s mental health’.
The campaign is in response to research that found one-in-10 women will experience mental health issues during pregnancy, or within the first year of giving birth.
Drawing on everyday scenes, ’Not After That Display’ shows a tired mother venting her frustrations on a Malteser at the bus stop.
Nike plays it real
Nike is celebrating Black women in its film ’We Play Real’, featuring key athletes such as Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka and Sydney Leroux.
Narrated by Dominique Fishback, the campaign amplifies Black female voices, recognizing their resilience and fortitude to lead the world forward.
Throughout 2021, Nike says it will continue to deliver inspiring, empowering and motivating stories, content and experiences that demonstrate how the power of sport can help move the world forward.
Choose 2 challenge
Featuring the work of 90 female illustrators from around the world, design studio This Thing of Ours created a powerful slideshow to mark International Women’s Day.
The 90 illustrators handpicked from 600 responses hail from all over the world, from China to Egypt, the US to Brazil.
This is just the tip of the iceberg, so if this dose of creativity leaves you thirsty for more, please drop in at The Drum’s Creative Works – the home of creative from all around the globe. You can also subscribe to The Drum’s creative newsletter or browse our round-up here.