JWT New York and Black Lives Matter Unveil New Partnership

Black Lives Matter, a chapter-based U.S. organization working for the validity of Black life, has announced the start of a strategic and creative partnership with JWT New York, making JWT New York the organization’s first-ever agency partner. In the new partnership, JWT New York hopes to play a key role in tackling the racial challenges facing society in the United States. One of the agency’s challenges will be to help establish the movement in time and beyond the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag that made it famous.

Marking the start of the new partnership is the launch of BackingBlackBusiness.com, a Google map based web tool that allows consumers to easily discover Black-owned small businesses throughout the United States. At launch, the tool featured over 300 businesses and in the following two days the number grew by more than 150%.

BackingBlackBusiness.com also allows Black business-owners to add themselves to the map.

The effort is designed to draw attention to the large and often underestimated racial disparities in business and give people the opportunity to use their dollars to support local Black-owned businesses. Ultimately, the teams hope to make the site the biggest and most easily accessible Black business database in the United States.

Lynn Power, JWT New York CEO, said: “Working in advertising, I believe that the messages we push out have an impact and that we have a responsibility to try and shape culture positively. I am really glad that our partnership with Black Lives Matter is giving us the opportunity to play a truly active role.”

Brent Choi, JWT New York CCO, added: “Our hope is to reduce the racial disparity that exists in economic well-being.”

Heading into 2017, Black Lives Matter will continue working with JWT New York as its strategic and creative agency partner to plan their communications and events.