Yes, it’s that time of the year again. Many brands raise their voice to celebrate the Black community before going mute for the rest of the year after March 1st. Some brands may take things a step further by stretching their Black-focused strategies during the “Freedom Window” – the two-month period that begins as early as January 1st, in recognition of the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation and includes MLK Jr. Day and ends with Black History Month. However, as an intercultural advertising agency, we believe this celebration should be crafted all year round. So, how should we be thinking about our inclusive strategies beyond March 1st?

To start, the word history is thrown around a lot in those first months of the year, with a heavy focus on historical events in Black culture. While history is important, there’s a present and future to think about including as well. Kevin Brockenbrough, Lead Strategist at Clever Ideas, says it best: “It’s not just the impact of the past, but how [Black people] are impacting the present and the future… There is a future, and that future has us in it.”

“It’s more than just a house plant. It’s more than just showing Black people in your work.”

Effective advertising goes deeper than history and simple representation. Kevin continues, “It’s more than just a house plant. It’s more than just showing Black people in your work. It’s trying to be sensitive to acknowledging the things that make the culture unique or special.”

It also allows us to work in the realm of transcreation, not just translation. What is transcreation, you ask? In simple terms, “Transcreation is adapting a work creatively,” explains Diana Alemán, Creative Content Manager. “I’ve learned that in order to get a creative out there and done right, most of the time, it’s not in 100% literal translation.” 

“A lot of times, the way to do that is to include tension in whatever story you’re telling. Whether it’s disproving a stereotype or showing Black people in situations where you wouldn’t expect them to show up,” he continues. “Part of being American is experiencing other people’s cultures. It’s not as monolithic as other countries.”

“We think of bilingual and trilingual in terms of language, but you might also consider that in terms of culture.”

In fact, it’s not unheard of for these varying cultural experiences to come together. “We think of bilingual and trilingual in terms of language, but you might also consider that in terms of culture. You may have grown up in a predominantly white neighborhood but get your hair cut in a Black neighborhood.”

All these pieces together create inclusive advertising that is thoughtful and impactful. Rather than treat inclusion as separate or unique to strategizing processes around calendar events, the integration of these principles year-round is where advertising really shines beyond February’s end.