MARTIN EKECHUKWU
WHTWRKS
I think a lot of brands and companies are just talk. They want to feel like they’re doing something without putting any action behind it. During the summer of 2020, companies were making really large statements. I put no stock into those from the get-go.
Of our clients, PepsiCo is one that really stood up and said, “We’re going to do something about it.” I was working on a Doritos campaign. George Floyd had been murdered. The Black Lives Matter protests were happening, and the BET Awards were coming up. All the big brands had an ad buy for the broadcast, but everyone was really concerned: “We can’t just run regular chip commercials during this incredibly sensitive time. What do we do?” PepsiCo called me and said, “Help us tell this story.” They gave me free rein to write a full narrative around people of color not being seen for such a long time: You love our culture. You love our music. You love our people, but do you really love us? Are you really there to support us as part of the Black Lives Matter movement?
PepsiCo and Doritos gave me the space to create that story. They were like, “Go do it. We’re behind you all the way—and we’re going to reinvest in this strategy next year and the next year.” They created a five-year plan, and we brought that to fruition. It felt amazing to be on the receiving end of that, because for so many years, you’re just not. No one really gave a fuck.
As co-founder and chairman of New York City-based marketing, strategy, production, and creative agency WHTWRKS, Martin Ekechukwu has worked with clients such as Nike, Facebook, and Disney.