"Pitch Black" is a history of the best and most successful advertising created for – and created by – African Americans.
"Pitch Black" reveals how advertising created by Black people and for Black people became a tool – and weapon – of the Civil Rights movement, changing the world's perception of Black America. Advertising enabled America to get to know Black people in ways that would have been impossible otherwise.
A remarkable collection that cannot be found in any other book, library, or museum. Between chapters of historical narration, the book showcases advertising images for the five decades of the past 50 years and chronicles a previously unrecorded chapter of the history of American business, fashion and culture, revealing how Black identity, in all its freshness and different beauty, turned Blackness into a "brand" America wanted to buy.
Today, African Americans are masters of culture and art and commerce. Today, there is no pop culture without Black people. And there is no commerce without pop culture. It has been a long journey. How we got here is the story of Blacks in advertising of the past fifty years. The story of Pitch Black.
The history of Black America in advertising.
"Pitch Black" is a history of the best and most successful advertising created for – and created by – African Americans.
"Pitch Black" reveals how advertising created by Black people and for Black people became a tool – and weapon – of the Civil Rights movement, changing the world's perception of Black America. Advertising enabled America to get to know Black people in ways that would have been impossible otherwise.
A remarkable collection that cannot be found in any other book, library, or museum. Between chapters of historical narration, the book showcases advertising images for the five decades of the past 50 years and chronicles a previously unrecorded chapter of the history of American business, fashion and culture, revealing how Black identity, in all its freshness and different beauty, turned Blackness into a "brand" America wanted to buy.
Today, African Americans are masters of culture and art and commerce. Today, there is no pop culture without Black people. And there is no commerce without pop culture. It has been a long journey. How we got here is the story of Blacks in advertising of the past fifty years. The story of Pitch Black.
The history of Black America in advertising.
(Taking my lead from the author, I will be using the term "Black" when describing American people of colour in my review.)
Shining a light on an area of pictorial history that far too often has gone overlooked, Pitch Black: The best Black ads of the past 50+ years is a 180 page reference book covering over half a century of Black-American influence in the marketing sphere.
Written by Mark S. Robinson, with notable contributions from CEOs, Chief Commercial Officers, and academic professors, Pitch Black is full of vibrant imagery, which demonstrates the progression of Black representation in advertising campaigns, as well as the obstacles and set-backs that have occurred along the way. Chapters are broadly arranged in themes, e.g. "Civil Rights Through Black Advertising", "Black Beauty & Black Hair" and "The Golden Age and Beyond", with Robinson using visual media as a springboard to draw the reader's attention to cultural shifts which directly influenced big brands and marketing budgets (and vice versa).
This is a fascinating read and an education for anyone of any race, age or culture. Having a broad selection of marketing material in one place helps to see first hand the striking similarities and differences over a period of, sometimes, decades. Anyone living through that period may have struggled to see the subtle changes at play within, for example, food and drink marketing, and yet those too young or not living in America would never have had natural exposure to these changes either (this thirty-something reviewer living in the United Kingdom being one of those people). It is impossible to see how any reader would not come away from this book without learning something new, or had their eyes opened, even if just by a tiniest bit, to both the prejudices and improvements made to advertising aimed at Black communities in America.
It is worth mentioning that while this book is incredibly informative, it is incredibly informative. The sheer density of words and imagery might leave some readers feeling a little overwhelmed initially. There is a lot to unpack when it comes to this fifty year period. In that sense Pitch Black is more a reference guide for academia or something placed on a coffee table to stimulate discussion. It is less geared up for being a bedtime read, or a book you openly rave about in the office.
Pitch Black is, if nothing else, an eye-opener. It remains a powerful book that educates and highlights the perils of overlooking a strong consumer base when trying to establish brand and engagement. For what it seeks to achieve, Pitch Black remains a strong historical/reference book that stands up on its own merits.
AEB Reviews