Marketers have heeded the advice of Warren Beatty when he said in the film Bullworth, “Let’s just fuck each other until we’re all the same color” by using ethnically ambiguous models in their ad campaigns. From Vin Diesel to Jessica Alba to Ujjwala, marketers like Louis Vitton, YSL Beauty and H&M have used spokesmodels with mixed ethic make up to appeal to culture’s increasing ambivalence towards race. This is especially true among Gen Y where racial diversity is celebrated as chic.
With almost seven million Americans identifying themselves as mixed race in the 2000 Census, it’s clear that we are on the path Beatty refers to in the film. Smart marketers are reflecting this shift both to be seen as hip as well as to simply reflect the realities of American culture.
