We all know of the design and advertising being created for niche markets. Unless you are in the community being targeted, it can be hard to tell if that work is good or bad... or even effective. But when you’re part of the targeted community, you get the message loud and clear. Making that connection is the driving idea behind Atlanta-based Culture A.D.

"We work as a cultural conversion agency," says Culture A.D. creative director Craig Brimm. "We take existing creative and evaluate the viability of the message for the African-American consumer. If the concept translates well, we then create more targeted language and/or visuals. Sometimes it is just a nuance that could be offensive or a latent strength that could be maximized in editing to make a piece play better in certain markets. There are occurrences where the creative just doesn’t hit the right notes at all. That's when a rebuild is in order."

(right) Readers Make Leaders: Part of an urban literacy campaign, this poster sends the message that kids can maintain a "cool" image while expanding their horizons. Art Director, Designer: Craig Brimm; Designer: Jamila Caldwell.

African-Americans often have the sense of being "bilingual" - that is, understanding both mainstream and black dialects of English. "It's not so much another language as it is different pronunciations, syllable emphasis, phraseology, context, word usage and enhanced definitions," explains Brimm. "There are certain ways African-Americans do and say things within social confines that are perceived as comfortable and nurturing, or as we might say, feel 'down home.’ It's not just African-Americans that do this. We all have vestiges of these behaviors."

Further explaining the phenomenon, he adds, "As black people in America, we all understand the dominant culture. I'm not at all an anomaly. Most black people in America know when, where and how to make the switch and can throw demonstrative nonverbal cues that speak volumes. Like when you are the only black person in the room and feel a little uncomfortable, there is the low-key, constant scanning of the room and then, yes there you are, another person of color, and the subtle upward head nod that telegraphs, 'if some racist shit pops off, I got your back... because they be trippin'!' It really speaks to the larger trust issues all Americans have with each other. As a country we be trippin'."

Designing a Voice
Brimm established Culture A.D. after witnessing the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center while he was on assignment in New York. Prior to starting his agency, he spent 10 years as an art director in various advertising agencies, including Roy Advertising, J. Walter Thompson, Nomenudum and MLT Creative. His work included television, radio and print advertising for Ford, Levi’s, Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble, Tylenol and M&M products.

Since its founding, Culture A.D. has specialized in creating striking matches between brands and consumers by providing graphic design, brand development, copywriting and advertising for clients in a variety of industries, including financial services, higher education and tourism. But the agency has found a real niche in the African-American personal care market, working on hair, bath and body products for such major international brands as L’Oreal, Procter & Gamble and Colomer USA.

“The work we are doing now is becoming more poignant and visceral,” notes Brimm. “I’m actually surprised that the more we express raw and emotive concepts, the more clients and consumers really feel it. I have been in focus groups and heard comments that were spot on with the core language from the design brief.”

Brimm has pushed to develop his own voice. "I think I have always had a point of view, but it was suppressed. I think that was youthful naiveté," says Brimm, "Now I’m beginning to understand that clients come to agencies for a point of view. A voice or a style is like an opinion: We all have one, but some choose to speak out with more vibrato. It has taken me all my career to gradually grow that voice and begin to unabashedly speak my mind.

"I've become more self-expressive while solving design and marketing issues. For me, it started with a series of low budget and pro-bono clients where I developed safe, palatable solutions that just didn’t say enough. This is when I realized that, to be noticed, these small brands had to bring some noise. I literally began to throw ink on the walls and not hold back during the execution phase. Brands have to be stripped down butt-ass-naked to their purest essence and then pumped up through every pore."

(right) Bermuda Board of Tourism: Required to work within the context of existing advertising, Culture A.D. introduced imagery compelling to an African-American tourist in this print, outdoor and radio campaign. Agency Partners: Arnold USA, Images USA; Art Director, Writer: Craig Brimm; Writer: Ellena Balkcom.

Read the full article in the May/June 2007 issue of Step inside design magazine.

Thanks to our friends at Jupiter Images for sharing this great info.

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