Procter & Gamble had already demonstrated its commitment to combatting racial bias with “The Talk,” an Emmy-award winning film that addressed the emotional moment when a Black mother has to warn her child about the dangers of racism they will face in the world. The ad, challenged for not including Black men in the conversation, led to the creation of “The Look.” Inspired by true events and historical references, the film follows a Black man as he confronts the micro-aggressions of racial bias throughout his day. The campaign aims to inspire a deeper conversation and understanding about unconscious bias. As the world’s largest advertiser, Procter & Gamble believes it has “an obligation to go beyond delivering superior products—we have a responsibility to use our voice in advertising to be a force for good, addressing important societal issues that affect the consumers we serve."

“The Look” ran on high-profile television programming at a time when the nation was roiling with protests across the nation following the death of George Floyd. The issue of racism in America was at the forefront of the public conscious, with the nation struggling to come to terms with questions about systemic racism and unconscious bias. This powerful campaign, which took a bold look at unconscious bias with a poignant film and educational website, challenged viewers to not only think about unconscious bias as a whole, but to question their own actions and beliefs. The film was the first of its kind to address unconscious bias from the point of view of both the average Black man and the white people around him. It had the ambitious goal of helping educate the public about unconscious bias and provided tools to change behavior.

The creative idea was to give an honest, personal and uncomfortable view of what it is like to be a Black man in America today. A narrative film chronicles all the ‘looks’ a Black man receives throughout the course of his day, the suspicious or hostile glances he gets from people he encounters as he takes his son to school, shops or eats out a diner. Without any dialogue, the film poignantly portrays a common, everyday experience in Black America today, the unconscious bias that tells Black men they do not belong and encourages a dialogue about the issue at a dedicated website.

?he narrative running through culture about African American men that does not necessarily speak to the average Black male experience in America. There isn’t a single universal experience, but there are a few universal truths that affect the vast majority. One truth includes the traumatic effects of racism that lends itself to bias (rather conscious or unconscious). To connect with this community, we needed to acknowledge this truth and how this impacts his world on a day-to-day basis. “The Look” is based on a norm familiar in Black society. A glance, generally from white America, that positions Black people as ‘other,’ signifying that they do not belong. This hurtful notion is deeply rooted in bias, and the actions that result from bias contribute to the Black male experience in America. Our strategy was to shed light on this phenomenon and provide a forum for discussion.

A nearly two-minute narrative film highlights the unconscious biases that Black men confront on a daily basis. The moving film, inspired by real life, provides a window into the world of a Black man and all the micro-aggressions he receives during the course of an average day. Car windows are shut when his son waves hello to his classmate; the elevator doors shut as he approaches; a security guard eyes him as he shops in a high-end store. The spot ends with him entering a courtroom, as a judge. Without the use of any dialogue, the film carefully builds a story that reveals what unconscious bias looks like from both the protagonists’ point of view and the individuals who literally look at him and past him throughout his day. The campaign is the first of its kind to broaden the narrative to show both sides of bias-the cause and effect.

The Look had an ambitious goal, to educate the public about unconscious bias and to provide tools to change behavior. The film inspired much conversation, generating awareness for the issues addressed and leading to difficult conversations about race and bias. The film received a total of 528 media impressions, with 1.7 impressions received in 1 day on the Global Citizen concert; 3.1 million impressions received in 1 day during a John Legend interview discussing the spot; and 9.7 million impressions in 2 days on the Oprah Town Hall.