Black History Month US 25: Standout Campaigns & Activations

Wales Bonner’s Zine Pays Homage to HBCU Lineage  

British luxury label Wales Bonner, which often explores Black identities within its collections, extended its tribute to pre-eminent HBCU Howard University with a zine, following the dedication of its A/W 24 collection to Howard.

While not a formal Black History Month (BHM) commemoration, the publication comprises newly commissioned imagery of the campus and its student body alongside archival reprints from yearbooks spanning 1947 to 2011, reflections from students, and work from alumni including late author Toni Morrison. Label founder Grace Wales Bonner wrote in an Instagram post announcing the publication: “At Howard University I felt the presence of an impressive intellectual lineage, one I had long been drawn to from afar. […] The campus as haven, as a shining reflection of black light.”

The zine, available for free at Howard and with Wales Bonner purchases, is also housed in New York’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, For Keeps Books in Atlanta, and Reference Point and Stuart Hall Library in London. 

Kith’s Artist Collaborator Exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum

NYC-based streetwear brand Kith is marking its fifth BHM capsule collection with Black visual artists by partnering with the Brooklyn Museum to display the works of all artists featured through the years during February. The museum is also hosting an in-shop pop-up selling the collection, and held an artist panel at its popular First Saturdays series.

This year’s cohort include Malian-American mixed-media collage artist Penda Kiakité, Canadian multidisciplinary artist Marcus Troy (whose work explores identity and his Caribbean heritage), and American painter Alvin Armstrong, who focuses on Black culture.

Kith’s director of special projects, Marlon Beck II, conceived of and steered the project. However, it attracted some criticism in that, while a worthwhile endeavour, a white-owned brand wasn’t the right choice to occupy the museum’s spotlight during BHM.

Visit Philadelphia Hails Family Business Legacies

Destination marketing organisation Visit Philadelphia continues to provide brand-ready lessons during cultural holidays. It has previously confronted book bans (see Black History Month US 2024: Standout Campaigns) and explored Hispanic identity (see Hispanic Heritage Month 2023). For BHM 25, its new Legacy & Love video campaign features shops and restaurants that represent Black “family legacies”, having been passed down through generations or built in honour of loved ones.

Ipsy’s Resilience Through Black Joy Spot

With Black consumers’ beauty spending rising faster than that of all consumers combined – surpassing $9.4bn in 2023 and up 1.3bn since 2022 (NielsenIQ, 2024) – several beauty brands are backing BHM campaigns. Among them, US beauty subscription service Ipsy. Its campaign centres on the sociocultural concept of Black Joy. A short social media video, narrated by American actor Gabrielle Union, tells viewers: “Joy is the art of expressing yourself unapologetically […] this joy is passed down through generations, an unbreakable legacy of pride and resilience.”

Pinterest’s Light-Touch Black Dandyism Activation

Pinterest, which has reiterated support for inclusivity initiatives, references Black dandyism in its ultra-light-touch activation Tailored, which misses the chance to delve deeper into fertile ground. The subject of an (unconnected) upcoming show at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, Black dandyism saw Black men explore new sociopolitical possibilities by reclaiming an aesthetic formerly associated with the trend for well-dressed servants and enslaved people.

Pinterest’s activation comprises a 60-second menswear styling video, while a BHM hub showcases looks where tailoring is combined with maximalist accessories to “punch up personalisation”.  

Barbie’s Fifteen Percent Pledge Podcast

A February episode of Barbie’s podcast (which hosts “remarkable people”) featured Canadian-American Aurora James, founder of fashion brand Brother Vellies and The Fifteen Percent Pledge – a non-profit lobbying corporations to dedicate 15% of shelf space to Black-owned brands. Barbie’s parent company Mattel also launched a collectable doll (currently sold out) to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the first Black Barbie.