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Mr Multicultural helps us to understand the term ‘Multicultural’ better through Deeds of others in a rich society full of Diversity. The Cambridge Dictionary defines ‘Multicultural’ as meaning “including people who have many different customs and beliefs – Britain is increasingly a Multicultural Society”. This was no coincidence, as Mr Multicultural i.e. Bobby A Syed founded the EMMA Awards in 1997, to create this Multicultural society within Britain. As a person who grew up in Britain/London from the 1960’s, racism was a common reality for all Minorities, not just the poor as shown today, the environment Minorities had grown up in was defined as inner-city ‘Ghetto’s’ leading to riots due to the discrimination imposed on an impoverished community from the Commonwealth. The irony here was that this labour had migrated, to help rebuild this country, after the devastation of the Second World War; who just wanted some Equality as an Ethnic Minority. Sadly the Colonial cultural narrative had still persisted that led to discrimination.
Mr Bobby A Syed, had undertaken to change this old colonial narrative, by firstly undertaking Bsc Hons, Social Science (University of South Bank), followed by BA Hons in Peace and Conflict Studies (University of Bradford) with a Masters in Politics from University of London at The School of African and Oriental Studies. After setting up the Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy at SOAS in 1991, he went on to join Saatchi & Saatchi, were he worked with Corporate and Governmental clients. The desire to help a British economy stumbling from one recession to another, had meant that better communication was now needed to tap the Ethnic Minority market alongside countries free from Soviet rule after their collapse in the 1990’s. Then leaving Saatchi, to set up a PR & Marketing Agency to help tap the foreign markets for UK plc, which led to setting up EMMA in 1997. This was to ensure that racism was tackled at its core so that a true “Meritocracy” could flourish, and the EMMA Show would display the best of excellence in a drive to encourage the next generation, to tackle this racist culture by undermining a colonial narrative.
The EMMA Show, not only attracted a high viewership compared to the time it was broadcast, but had over 50 Ambassadors, Celebrities, Corporates, Politicians and Community Leaders attend these shows at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London. The images and messages sent out, throughout world, was one of a celebration towards excellence within Music, Film, TV, Literature, Sports, Public life etc. as the first ever Creative Industry Awards ceremony in the world promoting Multicultural values. This helped to define a Creative Industry, as undertaken by the UK Government White Paper, that is now an established term. It was EMMA that led to London winning the Olympic Games bid in 2005, as this show then defined UK, as a Multicultural destination through our London base work over several years. This was acknowledged by The Rt. Hon William Hague MP (Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs) in 2012 at a reception to celebrate the ‘London 2012 Multicultural Olympic Games’ symbolising EMMAs hard work.
Emma Afro MikeEMMAs advertising postcard featuring a microphone with an afro was distributed to encourage voting for the EMMA Awards on both telephone lines and the Internet in 2000.
The “Afro Mic” campaign received an advertising award the following year.
This particular campaign was combined with the Indian Snake advertisement.
Emma Tall MikeThe “Indian Snake” postcard by EMMA featured a microphone designed to look like an Indian cobra.
The postcard was distributed to encourage voting for the EMMA Awards on both telephone lines and the Internet in 2000. This particular campaign received an advertising award the following year.
The campaign was combined with the Afro Mic advertisement.
These two ad campaigns were designed to promote the EMMA Awards and The EMMA festival listings. The design made use of the Union Jack flag to reflect the multiculturalism of the British Isles.
The lack of a Football shirt for the United Kingdom flag lays the suggestion of the need for a national identity involving the whole populace.
The entire design brings into focus the different labels and titles given to ethnic minorities and pushes the idea that all cultures should exist under one banner.
The adverts were also used as the front covers of the EMMA Awards ceremony presentation magazines in 2003 and 2004.
The United Colours of Blood anti-racism campaign was launched by EMMA on 14 August 2001, following a series of U.K. race riots.
This campaign, designed by Saatchi & Saatchi, was placed in bus shelters all over Oldham, the location of several race riots earlier in the year.
Unveiled in August 2001, EMMAs, anti-racist campaign United Colours of Blood was created after the race riots in Bradford, Oldham and Burnley.
The aim of the campaign was to highlight a common bond between human beings and to give the communities the chance to work together in donating blood for each other.
The Blood Donor campaign was a huge success with local authorities organising several blood bank centres. EMMA Media received letters of support for the campaign from Nelson Mandela and Prime Minister Tony Blair.
The campaign won the prestigious advertising award from Campaign Magazine’s Annual Press Awards in March 2002. It is the second advertising award that has been presented to EMMA.
The campaign beat off quality competition for “Best Financial and Corporate Advertisement” from The Army (Saatchi & Saatchi), Land Rover (Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R), Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (Faulds), Volvo (Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO) and The Labour Party (TWBA/London) for their successful general election campaign.
EMMA founder and director Bobby Syed said of winning the award, “We are extremely honoured and excited by this recognition towards EMMAs corporate stance against racism in any shape or form, which ultimately highlights our positive multicultural agenda.”
Ajab Singh, art director of Saatchi & Saatchi, said, “We had designed a simple advert with a powerful message that touches all our existence.’Blood’, this has become our second award with EMMA, which we are all extremely proud of.”
The ethnic minority community in Great Britain – after mass migration in the 1950’s and early 1960’s – now symbolise the continued bond that presently exists between many global cultures. It also highlights the growing multicultural depth within this country, as a growing generation in the U.K. become British through multicultural developments via music, food, fashion, and an enriched urban life-style.
The anti-racist, blood donor campaign was conceived as a means to rebuild multicultural confidence throughout Britain, which was damaged recently due to race riots taking place in Northern areas of England. The date 14 August, 2001 symbolises the 54th anniversary and day of celebration for the Independence of Pakistan and India from the British colonial rule in 1947.
Beyond promoting multiculturalism, EMMA also founded the EMMA Multicultural Solidarity campaign week by encouraging the British public to register for blood donations, from the 10th to the 14th of September, 2001. The contributions were meant to assist the National Health Services by having the general public participate, allowing human life to thrive regardless of ethnicity.
This print and poster campaign is designed to raise awareness and understanding about racism in Britain’s multicultural community.
It is directly aimed at those who relate to their British identity as well as their ethnic origins.
The campaign is composed of three posters that, at an initial glance, appear to be characters and words written in a foreign language. Upon closer inspection, however, each advert is written in English slang – for example, one execution reads, “Keep a stiff upper lip, old chap”.
“The ads perfectly symbolise EMMAs stance towards multi-culture,” EMMA founder Bobby A. Syed commented.
