Departika, a graphic and web design studio

The Industry

White Flight?? Headline Gone Wrong

I saw this well-placed billboard the other day, and couldn’t believe it. What an ignorant ad! It reminded me how important research is, and how significant cultural awareness is in the design and advertising field. The headline reads, “White Flight” next to a photo of some pretty, white butterflies. The headline definitely got my attention, and evoked an emotional response (as a good headline should), but not the kind that will make me want to drive to Branson to look at a palace full of butterflies.

For those who don’t know, “white flight” is a term used to describe the event of middle and upper class whites leaving the cities to avoid living amongst the African Americans who were moving in. I understand that sometimes good advertising headlines will make cultural references, but this is the wrong one—with a negative connotation. Did the writer of this headline not know what white flight is? Did they just like the way the two words rhyme, and thought, “Ooh, what a great way to reference this great photo of white butterflies.”?

We must listen and learn about so many different subjects in order to communicate properly, or persuade our audience to buy our product or service. So, headline writers of the world...designers...communicators, try not to be this unaware and lazy—I promise that I will try my best to do the same.