Procter & Gamble has, in the past, worked to used commercials to not only advertise its brands, but to bring greater awareness to bias that exists in many forms.
The Cincinnati-based company’s latest effort, “The Talk,” is no exception.
A 2-minute version of the commercial depicts "the inevitable conversations many black parents have with their children about racial bias to prepare, protect and encourage them," according to the company.
“Listen,” a mother says assuringly to her son on the front porch of their rural home. “It’s an ugly, nasty word and you are gonna hear it. Nothing I can do about that, but you are not going to let that word hurt you.”
Another mother sending her daughter off to camp gently reminds her, “Remember. You can do anything that they can. Difference is you’ve got to work twice as hard and be twice as smart.”
A teen son is warned by his mother to bring his ID just “in case they stop you.” And a woman advises her adult daughter about what to do when she gets pulled over.
“This is not about you getting a ticket,” the mother says. “This is about you coming home.”
In a scene toward the end that ties back to the video’s start, a mother tells her young daughter that being told by a woman at a store that she was “pretty for a black girl” was not a compliment and reminds her “You are beautiful, period. OK? Don’t ever forget that.”
The commercial wraps up with the words “Let’s talk about ‘The Talk’ so we can end the need to have it,” followed by the P&G logo and its “My Black is Beautiful” trademark.
“These depictions of ‘The Talk’ illustrate that while times have changed, racial bias still exists,” the company said in a post to its website.
P&G is doing its best “to ensure others see the world we too want for our daughters and sons,” according to the company.
“As a corporate citizen we have a unique opportunity, and a responsibility, to use our voice and our resources for good,” reads the post. “Through our brands, we can bring greater awareness to bias that exists in many forms, sparking conversations that motivate change, creating new expectations for people to live up to, and ultimately helping to create more equal opportunities for all.
“A more equal world is good for us, our consumers and our community.”
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