Cheerios Brings Back Biracial Family for Super Bowl Spot

Back in May 2013, Cheerios aired a commercial that featured a young, mixed girl and her Caucasian mother. In the spot Just Checking, the young character, who we would later come to know as “Gracie,” questions her mother about the benefits of Cheerios cereal on heart health.

As her mother dutifully reads off the copy which positions the brand as a heart-healthy breakfast choice, Gracie acquires a knowing expression and runs off with the box of cereal to her African American father who is asleep on the couch. The scene cuts to Gracie’s dad waking up to find a pile of Cheerios scattered across his chest (and heart) in an unexpected and cute ending.

Unfortunately, not everyone agreed that the commercial was endearing. After the spot aired on YouTube, the video received a slew of vitriolic comments that revealed the sad state of racial affairs in the United States and in the world in general. Many people took issue with Cheerios casting a mixed race family in 2013. People directed their hatred towards Gracie’s character, calling her every name in the book. Youtube was eventually forced to disable comments on the video, creating a media storm around the ad. The YouTube comments remain disabled to this day.

In the aftermath of the negative comments, a parody of the video was created to further push the racial message while addressing another hot topic – sexual orientation. Eat it Haters went viral and received an overwhelmingly positive response.  

  

On February 2, 2014 as part of the $4 million-per-spot media buy for the Super Bowl, Cheerios reintroduced us to Gracie and her family. The ad, simply titled Gracie was pre-released on January 28 and features Gracie sitting at the breakfast table with her father. Gracie’s dad uses Cheerios to illustrate the point that she is about to become a big sister. In the background, Gracie's mother looks up from the counter, revealing her pregnant midsection. While contemplating the prospect, Gracie confidently adds another Cheerio to the group of 4 to represent the puppy she hopes will join their family. As her father confirms that it’s a “deal,” her mother looks on skeptically. 

Bravo to Cheerios for revisiting a concept that had received such negative feedback and for truly owning their message!

Ad Review: The Sartorial Culture of the "Sapeurs"

While browsing through my LinkedIn home feed this morning, I came across AdWeek's 'Ad of the Day' featuring London agency AMV BBDO's spot "Sapeurs" for Guinness. Although I would not have readily associated this brilliant ad with the Irish beer brand, the spot is part of a larger series created by BBDO titled "Made of More."

The ad was shot in Brazzaville, Congo and features scenes of men hard at work who, by day, are the common labourers who form the foundation of an African economy, and who, by night and in their free time, transform themselves into immaculately dressed members of an exclusive club known as the Sapeurs — the Society of Elegant Persons of the Congo. I was immediately drawn to this refreshing portrayal of the African man as a sartorialist, a fashion icon within his community.

The ad features some powerful copy with excerpts from William Ernest Henley's poem Invictus:

"In life, you cannot always choose what you do.
But you can always choose who you are...
I am the master of my fate.
I am the captain of my soul."

 

I am a huge fan of African fashion. For that reason, my only wish for this commercial and for others like it (although let's face it, there aren't too many out there like it) is that it featured some of the beautiful, traditional garments that reflect such a diverse cross-section of the continent. I acknowledge that fashion is fluid and many trends are derivative in nature. As such, it is clear to see the Western influence on African silhouettes and tastes. In fact, the Sapeurs' style reminds me of a combination of a 1920s dandy and a much better dressed version of our society's grossly exaggerated caricature of a modern pimp (excuse the reference). Conversely, African textiles and fabrics are also being adopted and reproduced en masse in the West as commercial objects that feed our insatiable appetite for an ever-changing aesthetic.

Guinness: Sapeurs (2014) AMV BBDO

The Men Inside The Suits.

 

All images captured from YouTube, Guiness: Sapeurs (2014) AMV BBDO.