Not only are advertising professionals constantly making embarrassing racist faux pas, to our delight; the entire ad industry has a long and dismal history of failing at the most rudimentary "diversity" initiatives. It's run by white guys, like everything else! So the industry is taking baby steps towards true racial integration. Step one: Give Ourselves Awards.

The 2011 ADCOLOR Awards were held recently, honoring the concept of the ad industry having a good reputation for "diversity," deserved or not. George Lopez received the "All-Star Award." Tells you a lot, right there.

The most effective and meaningful way to raise the microscopic percentage of black professionals in the ad industry: by giving "Catalyst Awards" to filmmaker and certified black guy Spike Lee, and to white ad agency exec Dan Wieden. Don't worry, he accepted it wackily! The copy from the above ad, spotted by Copyranter:

DAN WIEDEN IS WHITE. Like really, really white. He lives in the white city of Portland, Oregon. He has white hair. And he works in the whitest industry in the world: advertising.

So why is this white man being honored by ADCOLOR? Because Dan is doing what a lot of people in this diversity-challenged business aren't doing. He's changing things.

How is he changing things? They didn't have space to say, once they'd included all the Dan Wieden self-deprecation and backslapping. Since they're making us guess, I'll say "by having black employees."

The Advertising Industry: Always ready to humbly accept an award, whether the problem is solved or not.

[Copyranter]