TBWA\WorldHealth's social media stories reveal disturbing healthcare discrimination against black Americans

In a public stance to combat the issue of racial inequality in medical care, and in honor of Black History Month, TBWA\WorldHealth called on people, including its own employees, to share their personal experiences with discrimination in healthcare on Twitter. “We’re only going to be able to effect change if we start the conversation together,” urge TBWA\WorldHealth’s Wallye Holloway and Walter T. Geer in a video call to action. Through the hashtag #BlackHealthNow, the responses the agency received are both staggering and heartbreaking. Lauren Pattani-Wright, global client strategy officer for Omnicom’s Healthcare Consultancy Group, says in her video post that when her “beautiful, healthy” 26-year-old cousin was pregnant with her first child, she complained of “severe migraine-level headaches which she had never had before.” Her cousin, along with the father of her child, continuously expressed the need for her doctor and nurses to look into the issue. They ignored their pleas. Pattani-Wright’s cousin died of a brain aneurysm immediately after giving birth. Raquel Paul, a project manager at TBWA\WorldHealth, says she avoids seeking medical attention altogether out of concern for being treated unfairly. For today’s #BlackHealthNow story, we step outside TBWA\Worldhealth as we welcome Lauren Pattani-Wright from @omnicomhealthgroup partner agency, The Scienomics Group! Thanks Lauren! Share your story! #Blackhistorymonth #blacktwitter #healthcarehttps://t.co/Bc4TRJNtPE— TBWA\WorldHealth (@tbwaworldhealth) February 27, 2020 Wendy Chisholm, a senior account executive at TBWA\WorldHealth, says her mother died of an unknown illness that was complicating her heart and lungs because a new pulmonologist she was seeing failed to treat her. Chisholm says in her video post that the doctor told her “back in the day, people used to be left alone to die” and when her mother did die, he emailed her, not to express condolences, but to insinuate that her death was the “right thing” to have happened to her. Today’s #BlackHealthNow story comes from our own Wendy Chisholm, Sr Account Executive, as she discusses the issues she faced caring for her mother who required a pulmonologist. SHARE YOUR STORIES WITH US using #BlackHealthNow!#Diversityandinclusion #blackhistorymonth pic.twitter.com/a6sYGOCEhH— TBWA\WorldHealth (@tbwaworldhealth) February 25, 2020 Read all of the stories in the thread #BlackHealthNow on Twitter. Shoe for thought In another effort for Black History Month, Havas Chicago opened what may look like a typical shore store in the downtown lobby of its Windy City office, but in actuality it's a pathway for discussion on a persistent stereotype facing black professionals in the media. The issue, called “The Dream Gap,” surrounds the narrow definition of black success as portrayed in the media. As Havas Chicago’s #BLACKATWORK diversity and inclusion platform that created the initiative points out, the press often only tells the stories of black athletes, entertainers or pioneers who are the first to do something. So, in the “shoe store,” viewers can find a hall of fame featuring portraits of professionals like a video game entrepreneur, an international opera singer, a sommelier and a cellist. “We’ve defined The Dream Gap as a lack of representation that limits dreams to stereotypical jobs and the same old role models for black professionals to aspire to,” Pilar McQuirter, Havas Chicago’s talent program manager, says in a blog post on the effort. “This narrow portrayal impacts what the world expects of black people and consequently, what black people expect of themselves.” McQuirter points to a 2017 study by Color of Change that found black families represent just 27 percent of "the poor" in the U.S. but make up 59 percent of “the poor in news and opinion media.” Meanwhile, the study found that white families represent just 17 percent of the poor in news and opinion media but represent 66 percent of “the poor across the United States.” Made of Millions debuts new platform for mental health Ad Age's I-Hsien Sherwood reports: Mental health advocacy organization Made of Millions launched an online platform that folds in partnered projects like OCD reference site Intrusive Thoughts and the 4A’s “Dear Manager” campaign. The new hub has revamped information on more than 30 conditions and features a schedule of live-streamed content focused on mental health resources and presentations from advocates and experts on topics such as drug education, workplace advocacy and the overlap between mental and sexual wellbeing. Made of Millions also has new medical and advocacy advisory boards. Report: Former Lowe exec arrested Mark Wnek, the former Lowe and Euro RSCG exec, was arrested at JFK Airport for failure to pay a Greenwich Connecticut hotel bill, according to a Campaign report citing the February 27 Greenwich Time. The Time story said that Wnek “was booked in Greenwich on a charge of third-degree larceny, a felony. Bail was set at $20,000.” In 2017, Wnek founded an agency in New York called the New Breed Talent Army. The wins of the week Kantoor Brands’ Lee named VMLY&R as its creative agency of record, tasked with building on the brand’s history and strengthening its lifestyle and fashion positioning. Lee underwent its last brand refresh in 2016, creating a “Move Your Lee” platform where brand heroes Lee Man and Lee Woman shined, and later appeared in his and her own 30-second TV spots. Both mascots had a “can-do” life, which was initially introduced by Lee Founder Henry David Lee when he created the brand 130 years ago. Creative duties for the 2016 effort were handled by GSD&M. Ad Age’s Jessica Wohl reports: Ferrara Candy Co.’s Black Forest named Duncan Channon as its creative agency of record following a review. The gummy bear brand is set to launch a campaign this summer. Duncan Channon says its first task is a TV spot for a cause-based promotional campaign. Duncan Channon already handles strategy and creative duties for Ferrara’s Sweetarts brand. Black Forest previously worked with Joan Creative. FCB Brasil won the Heineken non-alcoholic beverages account in the country. The agency will be responsible for the communication of brands Itubaína, Viva Schin and Fys. While Itubaína and Viva Schin were developed in the 1950s in the city of Itú in São Paulo, Fys is Heineken’s newest non-alcoholic soft drink, launched in 2019 with regular and zero-calorie versions. Heineken began operations in Brazil in 2010 following its acquisition of the beer division of FEMSA Group. Zillow named AMP Agency as its lead digital agency following a four-month pitch process managed by Mercer Island Group. The shop will focus on Zillow’s digital transformation of the real estate transaction, with the goal of providing a more seamless home shopping experience for customers. AMP’s responsibilities specifically will include strategy, design and personalization. The appointment follows Zillow sending lead creative duties to Fig in January. UM handles media for the company. Ikea expanded its relationship with Vice-owned Virtue, naming it as its lead creative agency for branding communications in Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Portugal and Belgium. The win follows a competitive pitch. Under the partnership, Virtue will be responsible for creative work across all channels in those regions. The agency has already been serving as lead creative agency for Ikea Switzerland since last year. Virtue created the new “Bring more home to your life” brand positioning for Ikea Switzerland, as well as several campaigns around the importance of sleep. Pie Five Pizza has tapped Siltanen & Partners to work on a project to redefine its brand. The Dallas-based fast casual pizza chain, a subsidiary of RAVE Restaurant Group, is known for its individual personalized pies (named Pie Five because of the chain’s five crust choices customers can choose from). Brandon Solano, CEO of RAVE Restaurant Group, says Siltanen & Partners is tasked with creating work to “solidify our positioning in the pizza space and give Pie Five a unique brand soul that will resonate with both loyal fans and new guests.” The Wild, London-based Jungle Creations’ creative agency, won the U.K. social media marketing accounts for augmented hospitality group Accor brands ibis, ibis Styles, ibis budget, Mercure and Novotel. The appointment follows a competitive pitch that kicked off last year and was managed by Ingenuity. Under the partnership, the agency is tasked with running the Facebook accounts for those brands including through development and production of all content and supporting brand partnerships. The hires, promotions and moves Erich & Kallman hired Kate Higgins as its first chief growth officer. She hails from MullenLowe U.S., Winston-Salem, where she was president, and before that held roles at The Martin Agency, CPB, Carmichael Lynch, Fallon and even freelanced with Erich & Kallman from 2016 to 2017. While at Erich & Kallman as a freelancer, she is credited with helping the agency win and manage accounts like General Mills, Chick-fil-A, New Belgium Brewing, Noble Wines and Church’s Chicken. Cashmere Agency appointed Eric Enjem as its new chief financial officer. The agency says he will be responsible for building out its financial infrastructure and operational goals and report to President and Co-Founder Seung Chung. Enjem was a financial advisor for Greenfly before and previously held roles at agencies like OMD USA, Zambezi and 180LA. Jones Knowles Ritchie hired Sedef Onar as its first global chief talent officer. In the role, Onar will partner with Global CEO Guy Lambert and Global Chief Creative Officer Tosh Hall on leading the talent discipline across JKR’s offices in New York, London, Shanghai and Singapore. She was 72andSunny's chief talent officer and partner for the past nearly eight years. GroupM named Demet Ikiler as CEO of the Europe, Middle-East and Africa region. Ikiler, who has been serving as WPP county manager in Turkey since 2013, will retain that role. She replaces Dominic Grainger, who has transitioned to the position of WPP CEO of specialist communications in September of 2019. Ikiler will now be responsible for strategy and operations across GroupM agencies—including Mindshare, MediaCom, Wavemaker, Essence, m/Six and Xaxis—in the region. Zimmerman Advertising, part of Omnicom Group, named David Crawford executive creative director. He will partner with Zimmerman Chief Creative Officer Wade Alger. Across his career, Crawford led campaigns for Southwest Airlines, BMW, Kohler, Land Rover, AT&T and Krispy Kreme, among others. Deutsch promoted Husani Oakley to chief technology officer. He joined the agency in 2018 as senior VP and director of technology and was elevated to executive VP and director of technology and innovation last year. Oakley will spearhead technology efforts across clients like AB InBev, Reebok and Johnson & Johnson, as well as continue leading Great Machine, Deutsch’s AI innovation studio. Wunderman Thompson appointed Iain Preston as chief client success officer for the Europe, Middle East and Africa region. He will be based out of London and report to Wunderman Thompson Europe Middle East and Africa CEO Ewen Sturgeon. Preston will oversee the agency’s client engagement in the region. He was the executive director of client services for R/GA, Europe, Middle East and Africa.

TBWA\WorldHealth's social media stories reveal disturbing healthcare discrimination against black Americans

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