Advertising Diversity: Ad Agencies and the Creation of Asian American

In this review of Advertising Diversity, Shalini Shankar offers a thoughtful, fieldwork-driven look at how advertising professionals shape and commodify Asian American identity. For readers interested in media studies, cultural sociology, or marketing practice, the book's biggest strength is its ethnographic access: four years of observation at Asian American ad agencies in New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles provides concrete scenes of how campaigns are planned and produced. The account explains not only strategy but the everyday decisions - from casting to language choices - that turn racial difference into marketable audiences.

Key Features

• Ethnographic fieldwork: Four years of observation in Asian American ad agencies gives readers grounded, detailed examples of agency practices and workflows.
• Agency perspectives: The book shows how ad executives adapt general market brand identities to appeal specifically to Asian American audiences for clearer client buy-in.
• Production process focus: Shankar follows the day-to-day making of broadcast and internet advertisements, illuminating decisions about casting, scripting, and cultural translation.
• Multicultural vs general market contrast: The text compares casting and messaging choices for multicultural campaigns against general market spots, revealing strategic differences.
• Communication and politics: Advertising is framed as racialized communication, helping readers understand how marketing shapes public ideas about Asian American identity.

Who It's For

This book is best for graduate students, scholars, and practitioners in media studies, advertising, cultural studies, and Asian American studies who want an inside view of how agencies construct targeted audiences. The ethnographic detail is especially useful for researchers seeking empirical examples of translation, representation, and market segmentation.

Those looking for a how-to manual for creative advertising techniques or a broad history of Asian American communities should look elsewhere; the focus here is analytic and institutional rather than a practical creative guide or a general community history.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Provides rich, on-the-ground descriptions of agency routines that make abstract ideas about race and marketing concrete.
• Clarifies how brand identities are adapted for specific audiences, useful for scholars of multicultural communication.
• Compares casting and messaging choices across markets, offering useful contrasts for critical analysis.

Cons

• The book's analytical emphasis means it is not a practical guide for creative professionals seeking tactical instruction.

Specifications

Title	Advertising Diversity: Ad Agencies and the Creation of Asian American Consumers
Author	Shalini Shankar
Research method	Four years of fieldwork at ad agencies
Locations studied	New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles
Focus	Creation and commodification of racial and ethnic difference in advertising
Media examined	Broadcast and internet advertisements

Our Verdict

Advertising Diversity is a valuable, well-documented work for those examining the intersection of race and marketing; its ethnographic access makes it especially worthwhile for scholars and advanced students who want to see how ad agencies practically translate culture into campaigns, even if it is not a how-to creative manual.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the book rely on original research?
Yes, it is based on four years of fieldwork inside Asian American ad agencies in multiple cities.

What media forms does it analyze?
The book examines both broadcast and internet advertisements and the production decisions behind them.

Is this a practical advertising guide?
No, its primary aim is analytic and ethnographic rather than serving as a tactical creative handbook.