How The Variable Agency Is Calling Out Racism

As many agencies have grappled with honest conversations about race, privilege and impact, NC-based agency The Variable is attempting to make meaningful change through a passion project designed to help white people see their white privilege.

“It’s hard to think of anything else over the past four weeks,” says David Mullen, President/CEO, The Variable. He adds his agency wanted to do something beyond the internal programs they've been focused on, including diversity hires. “We thought about how can we meaningfully help end racism. It isn’t just about intentions, but actions.”

The agency has created a provocative way to call out racism through a line of merchandise that recognizes it in the different perceptions that often occur during the course of normal everyday activity.

The idea was sparked by a comment made by a black colleague who admitted he did not feel safe walking at night. A few days later when Mullen was running in a rural community while visiting family he remembered that conversation and recognized his status as a white male in that specific moment and what it means in daily interactions. “This man in a truck I didn’t know waved at me and it made me think about how different the situation was for Ahmaud Arbery,” who was fatally shot while running in Georgia.

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“They don’t see me as suspicious even though they don’t know me at all.”

Mullen then thought it would be “interesting” to challenge the ridiculous bias that too often ends in terrible outcomes for people of color. Tamir Rice was just playing. Trayvon Martin was just walking home.

The e-commerce site sells shirts, sweatshirts and hats adorned with the statement "I'm Just [Name here]," followed by a normal activity, like jogging, napping, shopping. Those are activities  that “white people do every day without worrying about how they'll be perceived while doing it,” says Mullen.

This became an agency passion project. Mullen first tossed out the idea to a small diverse group of team members to see what they thought. “I realize I am a white guy thinking of ways to confront white privilege and I wanted to make sure a diverse group of people thought it was a good idea first.”

Everyone jumped on board and the project went from idea to a live site in three days.

The agency did uncover one unexpected challenge.  It was originally for “people of color to wear as an absurdity statement to quell the unfounded suspicions of white people they pass by,” explains Mullen. But he discovered his white friends loved the idea and wanted to show their support.

As a result, the team went back and added more statements to the collection. Instead of directly linking merchandise to a specific event  the newer choices link to the high-profile incidents that led to the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breona Taylor and others with statements like "he was just jogging," "she was just sleeping," and "he was just breathing."

The company is donating 100% of the proceeds to Color of Change and several local organizations in the firm’s Winston-Salem, NC, hometown that are working to go beyond protests to policy by toppling laws that sanction, support or cover-up the murders of people of color.

The agency is putting some money behind the work to raise awareness. There are plans to run paid media and OOH in key cities in the Southeast over the next few weeks.

Mullen is adamant this is not an ad agency stunt designed to leverage a timely event. “My hope is that this is a long-term effort and people will love the idea of wearing these shirts,” he says.

However, Mullen makes it clear he is not afraid to reverse course and try something different if this project doesn’t make a difference. “If this doesn’t catch on, we will move our time, energy and resources to things that are catching on because we just want to do good work to help end racism, whatever that work needs to be.”   

 

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