Culture can’t be faked: How performative DEI misses the mark

In marketing, the stakes have never been higher. Audiences want more than slick visuals and catchy slogans. They want to feel something, and more importantly, they want to feel seen AND heard. For that to happen, authenticity can’t be a buzzword. It must be baked into the creative process from the very beginning. It must start behind the desk and then behind the lens. 

If you are pitching a story about a mouse on a motorcycle, you will be asked whether you have directed a mouse on a motorcycle before.

In this constricting economy, many agencies have fallen back to narrow, repetitive concepts of what a qualified partner or director looks like. If you are pitching a story about a mouse on a motorcycle, you will be asked whether you have directed a mouse on a motorcycle before. It is creatively limiting. This risk-averse habit defaults agencies to the same small, exclusive group who have always shot the mice on motorcycles, rather than opening the door to new perspectives and lived experiences that could offer something fresh.

Authentic storytelling is something you can FEEL. It shows up in the details — the textures, the tone, the choices in casting, color, music, and location. It feels lived-in, not researched. You can tell when someone typed the culture into a search engine. It feels like a voyeuristic perspective, instead of inside baseball. It feels like somebody outside the club looking in, versus somebody inside  giving you a window into their world.  

Authentic storytelling starts with who’s in the room from the beginning.

On a recent project, for example. The salon we picked wasn’t just a cool-looking location—it was real. A legit business in Long Beach that reflects the mix of cultures that make up America. It wasn’t your typical, overused image of a Black barbershop. It was a place where a Black man, a Latina woman, and a white non-binary person could all walk in and feel like they belong. And they do. Our location scouting process was to help the art imitate life.

Above: The Gatorade campaign dropped in April of this year and offers a host of cultural entry points.

Gatorade's Lose More, Win More campaign developed by TBWA/Chiat/Day LA, is a great example of authentic storytelling and was evidently created with a culture forward approach.

It starts as a natural extension of Gatorade’s iconic “Is It In You?” campaign and quickly morphs into one of the most understated yet powerful explorations of the zeitgeist. I wasn’t in the room when TBWA\Chiat\Day LA developed the creative, but I can tell the people around that table understood the assignment. 

When this spot dropped, its talents were having their moments: A’ja Wilson was beginning yet another MVP-level season; Shedeur Sanders was one of the most beloved NFL rookies; Luka Dončić was seemingly being passed the Lakers’ star torch, and Kendrick Lamar was in the midst of a historic run—from chart-topping diss records [Not Like Us] to Super Bowl–performing artivist. Pick your potion; there are so many cultural entry points in that spot, which ends with a cameo by Mr. Lamar, pioneering the idea of an artist being presented as an athlete.

Being culturally fluent affects everything we do, from the zeitgeist insights and visual references used during the developing stages, to the music we play on set. Productions feel more resonant and collaborative when the environment is built on cultural fluency, open dialogue and intentional inclusion. 

The danger in checking ‘identity boxes’ is assuming that categorical representation alone equates to authenticity. Like the elders in my community often say; “All skinfolk ain't kinfolk!”

Above: It's important to ensure that diverse voices around the table reflect the audience being served.

True cultural relevance shows up in who is behind the camera, not just in front of it. That means hiring intentionally, not as a checkbox, but as a commitment to bringing diverse perspectives to the table. Ensuring that the voices around the table reflect the audience being served requires trust—and a commitment to widening access, not just ticking boxes. Authentic storytelling starts with who’s in the room from the beginning. Now is not the time to scale back. It is time to double down, to invest deeper, and to challenge others in the industry to do the same.

When culture gets faked or pandered, people call it out. The fallout is fast and the hit to a brand’s credibility is real. This is not just a creative miss. It is a financial liability.

Commercial production and filmmaking in general cannot afford to be stuck in old ways. There is a lucrative path forward.