Race in the Creative Process

I met Trevor Robinson with fellow advertising art director and agency creative, Jon Daniel back in 1996. They had become aware that a multimillion pound advertising agency Bartle, Bootle and Hegarty, -BBH - were offering OBV their creative services and retail contacts for free. To put what BBH were offering into perspective, you have to remember we had no money and no prospects for money and an advertising giant who were offering a package that was worth in excess of about 50k. Then two black guys come up to you with no money, little or no resources, and say, ‘I know what you're being offered by these big guys looks great, but this is our gig and we won’t let you down’.

Their pitch was powerful, but we owed it to BBH to listen to what they said and what their approach might be. After about 10-minute pitch by the all-white BBH team, we know that Robinson and Daniel acutely understood where we were coming from and what we needed.

Somehow with no budget these two very inspired individuals would create a campaign-film and posters that would literally shake up the political establishment.

In essence they sort to push inspire a cynical Black community to make a bold political action: Telephone the Prime Minister and other party leaders direct at their offices. The strap line was, “Imagine if a one million Black people call up John Major AKA the ‘Brixton boy’."

The campaign worked. We were all over the news. The Prime Minister’s local office were inundated with angry callers wanting to give the Prime Minister a piece of their mind. For the first time in British political history politicians were talking about Black communities in the positive. The then Shadow Home Secretary Jack Straw announced at an OBV event that if Black people were to vote Labour we would have a Public Inquiry into the death of murdered schoolboy Stephen Lawrence.

OBV went on to work with Robinson and Daniel on other campaigns including the first Mayoral elections with ads featuring bespoke courtier designer Oswald Boateng, singer Des Ree and actress Meera Syal.

It is fitting that Robinson/ Daniel’s creativity which helped bring about a political sea change is the subject of ‘Shades of Noir’, Race in the creative process. Over the years they have both used their genius to tell our story, feel our pain, and excite a community to believe in change.

Simon Woolley

Shades of Noir is proud to announce our Big Debate, 12th hosted at Chelsea College of Art & Design. The debate is an opportunity to further support a discourse around race in the creative sectors, the panel line up includes:

• Hew Locke – International Sculptor & Fine Artist
• Tom Happold – Head of Video Programming, Guardian News & Media & Guardian TV
• Peter Bonnici – Author & Brand Specialist
• Dr Yvonne Thompson CBE – Founder of Choice FM & Entrepreneur

For tickets contact
University of the Arts London, W Shades of Noir
E d.gabriel@arts.ac.uk