1619 Project: Is society afraid of the truth?

The New York Times released an ad featuring Janelle Monáe as she stands on Virginia shore, where the first 20 enslaved Africans were being brought by colonists.

This ad was released on February 9, 2020, during the Oscars, which follows a multi-media platform that supports the ad campaign for the 1619 project.

However, one must ask if this project was worth paying millions to be shown at the Oscars?

The only setback for showing this advertisement during the Oscars was reaching a large audience.

According to Biek, there was an average of 23.6 million viewers, making it the least-watched show in Oscars history. It's no surprise that a lot of people are not watching television anymore with the internet taking dominance. But from an advertising viewpoint, the commercial would have received more attention at other events, such as; The Super Bowl.

Although, the choice of releasing the ad during the Oscars may have not been a strategic move. The ad created a buzz, it addressed society with an uncomfortable topic: SLAVERY and how it continues today. The campaign central message is "The truth can change how we see the world." It's always a risky move to put the truth in front of the audience, but it's what makes an organization like The New York Times stand out.

To further look into this campaign, it was a smart move to release this commercial during Black History Month. As slavery is a big topic in learning Black history to show how African Americans were facing oppression. This ad is giving truth to the viewers, even the multimedia project on the website takes the audience through this transition of oppression and being enslaved.

Also, using Janelle Monáe as the figure for this ad was pure genius! Simply because Monáe has been an advocate for the black community. Spanos mentioned how Monáe played in two films that show stories in black history that are not often talked about and Monáe felt as if America was trying to erase those stories.

To sum this up, news organizations are taking more bold moves to capture the attention of citizens. Which is interesting because an organization has to be careful about what they decide to publish, especially sensitive topics. However, there is a shift in new media as organizations are becoming less censored and showing more of a reality of society.

What do you all think about this ad? Let me know what you think.