NAACP Writes Advertisers in Diversity Push

The effort to substantially increase African-American representation in the advertising industry has shifted to a client outreach phase, with the NAACP writing letters to the leaders of top-spending advertisers, including Procter & Gamble CEO A.G. Lafley. In a letter dated Monday, NAACP interim general counsel Angela Ciccolo asked Lafley to "instruct your advertising agencies to use diverse teams in creative and account management positions" and to address the relative paucity of African-Americans in advertising "as forcefully and effectively as its importance to your firm and the nation requires." The letter further suggests that P&G identify a senior executive to meet with the NAACP, which is partnering with civil rights law firm Mehri & Skalet on the diversity initiative, known as the Madison Avenue Project.