Editorial Introduction

Abstract

Editorial Introduction Edward Timke It is difficult to write an editorial introduction at the end of one of the most challenging years in recent history. There is hope for an end to the pandemic with the distribution of various COVID-19 vaccines around the world, but tremendous uncertainty remains. Some people are questioning the safety or effectiveness of these medicines, and the rollout of vaccines is slower than expected. Even though many Americans' financial situation is still quite dire, US politicians delayed the release of much-needed aid. A caustic political climate has kept the US divided, especially about diversity and inclusion in society. Erratic weather patterns continue to remind everyone that climate and environmental issues are as urgent as ever. Even during this unsettled year, Advertising & Society Quarterlyis optimistic for better days to come through our community's shared concern about how advertising might bring positive changes to our society and culture. As one recent Microsoft holiday ad reminds us through the story of a family dog named Rufus, we can all find joy and hope during hard times by staying connected. Video 1. In one of Microsoft's 2020 holiday ads, a dog named Rufus reminds viewers that despite the social isolation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, we need to keep hope alive by dreaming big. We can also stay connected during these difficult times through technology and digital tools. 1 Click to view video This final issue of 2020 focuses largely on race, ethnicity, and diversity in advertising and American society. Although the journal hoped to host its fourth annual colloquium in person this October, staying true to the Quarterly's focus on digital publishing, we held a virtual meeting on December 3–4. This year's theme was Race/Ethnicity/Diversity in Advertising. To fully contextualize and analyze this topic, the colloquium was broken into three sessions. The first session had Smithsonian museum curators discuss their collecting strategies to preserve and tell the stories of race, ethnicity, and diversity in American advertising. 2In the second session, advertising practitioners discussed their public service advertising (PSA) campaigns about COVID-19 safety and concerns among Black, Brown, Asian, and Latino communities. 3The last session featured notable scholars critically unpacking the place of race, ethnicity, and diversity in the advertising industry's business and creative work. 4All three sessions were recorded and published in this issue. 5 Several other pieces in this issue relate to the colloquium's theme about diversity, equity, and inclusion. Marketing professor Yvette Bonaparte (North Carolina Central) and sociology professor Martha Reeves (Duke) examine if and how brand messages can represent concerns from the #MeToo Movement. In addition to providing background details about the #MeToo Movement, Bonaparte and Reeves analyze what Gen Z and Millennial students think about marketers' inclusion of issues such as pay disparity and sexual violence toward women in their messaging. Communication and advertising scholars Jackson Carter (South Carolina and Ouachita Baptist University) and Taylor Jing Wen (South Carolina) provide a detailed qualitative content analysis of a topic rarely assessed in advertising: adoption public service announcements. Adoption PSAs do not adequately represent the foster care system's realities. Carter and Wen worry that such inaccuracies could deter would-be parents from adopting. A reprinted chapter from Inger L. Stole's book Advertising at War: Business, Consumers, and Government in the 1940s(University of Illinois Press, 2012), provides some useful context about how the advertising industry navigates and adapts to various crises in American history. The chapter covers how the advertising industry's efforts to convince the public about advertising's benefits before and during World War II. The chapter also explains the origins of the Ad Council. This history, which we were able to illustrate in color, helps us understand why the organization still plays a vital role in addressing significant social issues while helping the advertising industry defend how it benefits society and culture...