Are you still calling, texting, emailing, signing?
Open Waters (Zambezi’s employee-led DEI initiative) created a social post to encourage actual action. That’s now elevated (quite literally) to 58 billboards in 11 major markets around the US. Zambezi’s Media Team worked with Quan Media Group who donated OOH boards and taxi toppers.
The messaging was penned by Zambezi’s Black employees—Office Coordinator, Jordyn Calhoun and Associate Producer, Michael Harding. It was then amplified by Open Waters.
This is an example of how different perspectives can occupy and fill a space—but the space needs to exist first. Zambezi acknowledges that not nearly enough space exists at their agency yet, and they’re taking steps to create it.
I was fortunate to help co-lead this project, serving as a creative consultant—but more importantly, an advocate. I’m proud of the work that was done by POC and some allies that stretched various departments. *There is no real pipeline issue, all kinds of talent and skills are everywhere.
Created With: Open Waters
Open Waters is an employee-led diversity, equity, inclusion and representation initiative at Zambezi. The group is open to all and the team is comprised of members with various experiences, perspectives and disciplines who all share the same passion and belief that “What makes us all different makes us all better.”
What if the holiday gifts we opened played a part in helping close the racial wealth gap? What if we did that year-round?
I led our agency in opting out of the agency “holiday card” to provide the industry (and public) with a holiday gift guide instead—one that featured BIPOC-owned business.
We had help from a dozen DEI Fearless Champions from multiple offices in the network. Together we created an excel filled with BIPOC-owned businesses, then organized that into a clickable PDF Gift Guide.
We didn’t get a microsite approved so we built a clickable PDF hosted on a section of vmlyr.com.
We sent out an internal email to employees and promoted the gift guide on VMLY&R socials. I then made a several-phased approach for the company to carry out afterward (I’ve since left the company but this project is far bigger than me).
You can view the full Shop BIPOC Gift Guide here.
THE INSPO
A peer shared that someone had written their pronouns on their name tag at a conference. While the woman herself was a cisgender female with traditional pronouns, she made a statement by writing hers down. One day, pronouns won’t be assumed. She made it easier for the people who identify in ways our current society doesn’t always acknowledge. She kept the conversation going.
THE IDEA—CHECK YOUR PRONOUNS
One result of that convo? A Pride t-shirt sale, with proceeds going to the Los Angeles LGBT Center.
People are finally learning more about pronouns, so we gave them a shirt to maaaark up.
Your pronouns aren’t a singular thing, so change the “IS” to “ARE” and check your pronouns. Fun Fact: All your boxes don’t even need to be in a row. And you can write in your own like I did.
So here’s to em, him, per, her, them, ver, xem hir, zir or whatever else other beautiful humans would like to go by.
MY PRONOUNS ARE…
I’m non-binary and my pronouns are also proper nouns—Kristi/Kristi’s, Lira/Lira’s. I’m comfortable with They/Them too.
Created With: Open Waters
Designer: Kyle Dempsky
AD: Stacie Larsen
Open Waters is an employee-led diversity, equity, inclusion and representation initiative at Zambezi. The group is open to all and the team is comprised of members with various experiences, perspectives and disciplines who all share the same passion and belief that “What makes us all different makes us all better.”
