American Advertising Federation Forms AAF Center On Multiculturalism.

The American Advertising Federation (AAF) announced the formation of the AAF Center on Multiculturalism to address the growing need for corporate and industry support with multicultural advertising, marketing and diversity. This marks the first such unit to be developed by a mainstream trade association and consolidates long-standing AAF efforts to help companies prosper by leveraging America’s increasing diversity. A main focus of the center is continuation of AAF’s outreach and advocacy efforts to shape policies and foster an inclusive business culture for the entire advertising industry.

Two of the initial programs to be launched by the AAF Center on Multiculturalism will be the inaugural Mosaic Awards and Multicultural Resources Expo on September 28, 2001, which will coincide with Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Legislative Week and Hispanic Heritage Month. U.S. Representatives Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (D-MI) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) are honorary co-chairs of these events.

The Mosaic Awards will celebrate extraordinary achievements in diversity and multicultural marketing. The awards will honor companies and individuals that demonstrate the spirit of the AAF’s Principles and Recommended Practices for Effective Advertising in the American Multicultural Marketplace. Renowned actor and Verizon spokesperson James Earl Jones is expected to participate in the ceremonies.

The Multicultural Resources Expo will promote new networking opportunities and business alliances for advertising. The expo will facilitate ad industry access to a diverse supplier base. Exhibitors will include minority-owned companies, national corporations, mainstream ad agencies, media companies and federal government agencies.

“Now is a time of intense opportunity as our nation’s makeup continues to diversify,” said AAF Chairman David A. Park, CEO of DDB Group/Los Angeles. “This new center will become the ‘one-stop shop’ that our industry needs in order for companies to remain competitive.”

AAF president and CEO Wallace S. Snyder added, “It is important to applaud those individuals and organizations that employ business practices that are consistent with the Principles. By providing new avenues to bring together minority-owned businesses with agencies, clients and media, we will encourage others to examine these outstanding methods.”

The AAF Center on Multiculturalism is led by Heide L. Gardner, vice president – diversity and strategic programs.

The AAF is the unifying voice for advertising. With headquarters in Washington and a Western region office in San Francisco, AAF is the advertising trade association that represents the ad industry in its entirety. AAF’s 130 corporate members are advertisers, agencies and media companies that comprise the nation’s leading brands and corporations. AAF’s national network of 210 ad clubs and local ad federations are home to 50,000 advertising professionals. In addition, AAF connects industry with an academic base through its 210 college chapters.

For more information at http://www.aaf.org