ADMERASIA & Getty Images & Asian American Visual Storytelling

 

This Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we are proud to announce that ADMERASIA has collaborated with Getty Images, a preeminent global visual content creator and marketplace, to release image galleries and guidelines aimed to educate and empower brands on their journeys to genuinely visualize the Asian American community.  

Why Addressing Misrepresentation and Underrepresentation Matters  

Asian Americans are the fastest-growing demographic in the U.S., with 22 million people crafting the story of America. Yet, this population continues to be underrepresented and misrepresented in visual media. Many ethnicities inside the Asian American demographic find themselves underrepresented. For instance, though the Filipinx population comprises 19% of Asian Americans, it is only represented in 2% of most popular visuals featuring Asian people. Visuals in media and advertising campaigns often reflect stereotypes and reinforce the “model-minority” myth.  

 

 

The Cost of These Disparities and Discrepancies is High.  

Trust and loyalty in these markets have remained elusive. According to a Morning Consult survey, “Roughly 3 in 5 (62%) Asian Americans said they ‘rarely’ or ‘never’ see people who look like they do in advertising materials.” That perspective is higher than Hispanic Americans (41%) and Black Americans (32%). 

The ongoing crisis of hate crimes and violent attacks targeting Asian Americans, fueled by anti-Asian sentiment, has added urgency to addressing this issue. Stop AAPI Hate, an organization that tracks hate incidents targeting Asian American Pacific Islander populations since the beginning of the pandemic, has recorded an upward trend in incident reports, with 4,632 in 2020 and 6,273 in 2021. 

 

 

ADMERASIA Steps Forward. 

ADMERASIA recognizes that much of this anti-Asian sentiment is embedded in the media and advertising industry’s portrayal of Asian Americans. As two entities that strive to create lasting connections between brands and consumers, this collaboration with Getty Images works to inspire brands, agencies, and creatives to make inclusive visual choices by fueling selection of imagery which is all at once powerful, reflective, and authentic in its depictions of the entire Asian American spectrum—a demographic segment comprised of 20+ ethnicities, each with their own nuanced experiences, perspectives, behaviors, and aspirations. 

“Brands and agencies often lack guidance and education on visuals that are genuine to the communities they are aiming to portray, which negatively impacts the way in which Asian Americans are represented. Oftentimes, they do not know where to begin or what tools are available to them. We joined this collaboration to fill this void. These guidelines are a starting point for discussion, to educate and explore respectful and authentic storytelling that speaks to the truth of Asian America. ADMERASIA has decades of experience working to build these connections and further these relationships because it comes from our own deep-rooted identity.” — XiaoHwa Sydney Ng, Cultural Content Director 

 

 

The Collaboration is Live!  

Getty Images has curated four image galleries and downloadable visual guidelines. 

The visual guidelines created in this collaboration will include current data reflecting the Asian American visual landscape, its juxtaposition against the reality of who Asian Americans are, and recommendations on how to build better visual inclusivity. 

Pioneering the Future by Capturing the Past 

This is just the first step in our relationship with Getty Images. Our future goal is to inspire Asian American photographers and capture Asian America through their lens. Imagine — our history recorded in real-time. 

For more information, please visit https://custom.gettyimages.com/asianamericans/p/1 or contact Selina Guo, Vice President of Strategy, ADMERASIA.