Project Title: Mosaic Implementation in AAF District 5
Focus: Promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) through the Mosaic Initiative
Key Actions: Board Mosaic Co-Chair Positions, Mosaic Training Sessions, D5 Mosaic American Advertising Awards, Chapter Participation, and Outreach
Launch Date: 2022
Background
In line with the American Advertising Federation’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, AAF District 5 took decisive action to implement the Mosaic Initiative across its chapters. This initiative aims to promote DEI efforts by celebrating and fostering diverse talent in advertising and creative industries. District 5’s strategy to drive the Mosaic Initiative includes creating leadership roles, offering educational resources, and integrating Mosaic principles into its existing American Advertising Awards (Addys). These efforts have resulted in high engagement across all chapters within District 5.
Objectives
- Create leadership roles to ensure the continued promotion of Mosaic Initiatives within District 5 and its local chapters.
- Provide training and resources to educate chapter leaders and members about Mosaic and practical ways to engage diverse audiences.
- Establish recognition for DEI efforts through the introduction of a District Level Mosaic Addy Award that honors excellence in diverse and inclusive creative work.
Key Implementation Strategies
1. Board Mosaic Co-Chair Positions
District 5 introduced Mosaic Co-Chair positions on its Board of Directors to lead and promote Mosaic initiatives across the district. These Co-Chairs play a crucial role in setting goals, answering questions, and ensuring Mosaic’s objectives are prioritized in each chapter. They also serve as resources, staying in close communication with chapter presidents and Mosaic Advocates to track progress and offer support.
2. Mosaic Training Sessions
To ensure all chapter leaders were equipped to champion Mosaic, District 5 held educational training sessions at its annual district conference. These sessions, led by the Mosaic Co-Chairs, provided a deep dive into what Mosaic stands for, addressed concerns, and offered practical advice on engaging new and diverse audiences. Leaders were given tools and actionable steps to overcome common obstacles in DEI initiatives, ensuring widespread understanding of the program.
3. Establish a District 5 Mosaic American Advertising Award
District 5 created a district-level Mosaic Addy to recognize agencies and professionals who excel in creating diverse and inclusive creative work. To address the dilemma of the Mosaic ADDYs being a “local-only” award, D5 sought to mimic the 3-tier competition of the American Advertising Awards by creating an automatic advancement of chapter Mosaic ADDY winners to a district level competition. The District 5 Mosaic Addy is selected from all Gold and Silver chapter Mosaic American Advertising Awards submissions and judged by the District Addy’s judging panel. District Gold and Silver winners are chosen based on the criteria developed by the National American Advertising Awards committee.
4. High Chapter Participation
With 90% of chapters selecting Mosaic Addy winners, District 5 demonstrated widespread buy-in from chapter leaders. This success was driven by clear communication, including an info sheet sent to all chapter presidents and Mosaic Advocates, which outlined key responsibilities, strategies, and ways to implement Mosaic locally. Being that the Mosaic Addy is chosen from all American Advertising Award submissions, the selection process integrated seamlessly with chapters’ established Addy’s judging processes and does not require any additional resources.
5. Mosaic Advocates Program
Each chapter in District 5 has been strongly encouraged to appoint a Mosaic Advocate—a dedicated board member tasked with acting as a Mosaic ambassador. These advocates focus on building connections with underrepresented audiences and identifying ways for them to engage with their chapter. Advocates are in constant communication with the District Mosaic Chairs, sharing successes and challenges, while also setting measurable goals for their chapters’ DEI efforts.
6. Outreach and Database Building
District 5 encouraged Mosaic Advocates to begin creating a database of marketing, media, and design professionals within their city, particularly those who may not yet be connected with AAF. By gathering information from social media and other sources, chapters were able to proactively reach out to diverse audiences. This outreach was coupled with immediate benefits for potential participants, including recommendations for Addy judges, speakers for chapter programs, and Addy or Mosaic Award nominations.
Impact
Widespread Chapter Engagement: With 90% of District 5 chapters choosing Mosaic Addy winners, DEI has become a focus for the district. This high level of involvement showcases the effectiveness of the leadership structure and resources provided.
Recognition of Diverse Talent: The introduction of the District 5 Mosaic Addy has created new opportunities for diverse creative work to be celebrated. By integrating DEI recognition into existing categories, District 5 reinforces the importance of diversity throughout the industry.
Increased Outreach to Untapped Audiences: Through the Mosaic Advocates program and proactive database building, District 5 chapters have expanded their reach to include diverse professionals who were previously not connected with AAF. This has resulted in stronger community engagement and increased awareness of DEI-focused opportunities in the advertising and creative industries.
Lessons Learned
Leadership Roles Drive Accountability: By creating Mosaic Co-Chair positions at the district level and appointing Mosaic Advocates within chapters, District 5 ensured that DEI initiatives were continuously prioritized and supported.
Training is Key to Understanding and Engagement: The Mosaic training sessions provided chapter leaders with the knowledge and confidence to implement Mosaic locally. Clear communication, practical examples, and collaborative goal-setting made the program accessible and actionable.
Existing Infrastructure Can Support New Initiatives: Integrating the Mosaic Addy into the existing American Advertising Awards structure eliminated the need for a separate judging process. This approach helped D5 establish the district level win, creating the missing link to the ultimate goal of three-tier competition; automatically advancing a chapter Mosaic ADDY win to the district and ultimately the national competition.
Conclusion
AAF District 5’s implementation of the Mosaic Initiative has set a strong example of how a district-wide approach can promote diversity, equity, and inclusion across local chapters. By creating leadership roles, offering training, and integrating Mosaic principles into existing programs, District 5 has fostered widespread participation and engagement. This case study demonstrates the effectiveness of leveraging existing structures, such as the Addys, to highlight diverse creative talent and expand the reach of DEI efforts across the district.