BBDO NY and NYC Department of Education Seek to Shift Long Term Diversity Mix in the Ad Industry

Today, BBDO NY, in partnership with the New York City Department of Education, announces ADiverse - a curriculum designed to inculcate passion for advertising and marketing within diverse talent at NYC public high schools serving large BIPOC populations. The initiative promotes early exposure to careers in advertising and was developed around a lens of equity-based practices, highlighting learning opportunities for young professionals that foster socio-economic empowerment along a range of advertising industry-specific skills. 

The ADiverse pilot launches with the High School for Art and Design and includes six sessions to be led by school staff and BBDO professionals. Sessions will focus on the impact of advertising utilizing real BBDO client case studies from brands that students will recognise and culminate with a BBDO executive leadership panel focused on breaking into the industry.

“The lack of diversity in the Advertising industry is a problem that needs to be addressed at every level, beginning during the formative high school years,” said Jason Rosario, chief diversity, equity and inclusion Officer of BBDO. “Not only will this partnership help us establish unique trust-based relationships with emerging talent, but it’s a tangible way that BBDO, as narrators of culture and history, can take action to help shift talent demographics long term within our industry.”

In addition to developing and teaching the ADiverse curriculum, BBDO NY will offer networking and mentoring opportunities, an externship program for school staff, and internships to student candidates. 

"Art and Design is constantly seeking and finding pathways to connect our young professionals with their working futures and post-secondary opportunities. Aligning our eight visual arts majors with BBDO's expertise, portfolio of work and support for genuine work-based learning will create sustainable and productive relationships for years to come. For our young professionals, representation within the industry matters and this partnership with BBDO will also push a larger conversation about accountability in workforce demographics and celebrations of diversity to drive innovation and creativity,” said Maximillian Re-Sugiura, principal of the High School for Art and Design. 

Pilot sessions are being hosted as webinars, open to all students, with the goal of raising broad awareness and building interest in the advertising industry. Students will then have the option to enroll in smaller classroom courses focused on skillset building and development in the Fall.

ADiverse will expand to other high schools including Edward R. Murrow, next school year.