The Impact of the 2020 BLM Resurgence on the Racial Representations of Ads and Ad Evaluations: Analysis of Super Bowl Ads

Abstract

Using ads from four Super Bowl broadcasts (2019–2022), we examined the impacts of the 2020 Black Lives Matter (BLM) resurgence on the ad representations of diverse racial groups and the evaluations of ads featuring Black models. Findings show increases in quantitative representations (number and duration) for Black ad models, but this improvement was not linked to qualitative representations (portrayal, prominent role, and hierarchy status). Findings also show the limited influence of the 2020 BLM resurgence on evaluations of advertisements featuring Black models. We also examined how the impact of the 2020 BLM resurgence on advertising shifted from 2021 to 2022.