Decolonising Mexican advertising: Practical strategies for challenging colonial thinking and practices in publicity campaigns to resist the racist spectacle.
This practice-based PhD asks How effective are decolonised poster campaigns in disrupting the colonial and racist thinking underlying Mexican advertising? Hybrid practice-academic methods explore how a multimodal campaign can disrupt the colonial and racist thinking underlying Mexican Advertising. The original contribution is through a decolonial process of researching visual communication combining ‘practice process’ and academic ‘workshop development,’ mixed with theorized accounts.
The Empirical research examines 500 years of 2D visual communication, including the construction of race through Pinturas de Castas that visually categorized peoples in colonial Mexico, to present day outdoor billboards for department store El Palacio De Hierro that is analysed using Visual Semiotics, revealing that this campaign consciously erases certain racial groups representing millions of Mexicans. A theory framework maps the history of key concepts such as Post-colonisation and Decolonisation, with a focus on Latin American theorists Mignolo, Cusicanqui and Bonaventura.
Five Phases structure the practice part of this PhD. Phase One is a Mexican Communications Review. Phase Two is working with local peoples and sets the groundwork for Phase Three, which is a decolonised visual practice in the form of a multimodal weaponized campaign. This is then followed by Phase Four which is a content analysis of the media coverage reaction to observe the industries and publics response. Phase Five are the outcomes with the researcher working with the Mexican advertising community searching for solutions.
The findings reveal that instead of being a top-down process, advertising practices can be questioned from the bottom up, by taking what Audrey Lorde defines as ‘the master’s tools’ and delinking them through collaboration with local peoples and creating a conversation in the media to remove colonial thinking from branded messages.
This research explores new hybrid practice-academic methods to accelerate change, and it is an original form of altering the Mexican public's understanding of what it means to be Mexican, by showing how colonial thinking can be removed from Mexican publicity practices to resist the racist spectacle through a methodological activism approach.
This research in and of itself does not resolve the problem of decolonising but is making a small contribution to this area through subversive strategies.
Key words: Advertising. Decolonization. Decolonisation. Mexico. Semiotics. Racism. Activism. PR. Hybrid.
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Biography
Carl W. Jones is a Senior Lecturer in Digital Media, Film, and PR/Advertising at the University of Westminster, and is recognized globally as an authority on advertising, being invited to 12 countries to give seminars: Clio’s Asia, Marketing Magazine Toronto, El Ojo Buenos Aires, and at Syracuse University. In total he has filmed over 1,000 tv ads and won over 500 awards and recognitions for his creative work including Cannes Lions. The mass media such as BBC; The Telegraph; BBC Mundo: Periodico Reforma, interview Jones on publicity and its effects on society. Carl was issue guest editor for the WPCC media journal on 'Advertising for the Human Good'; he is also on the International Association of Semiotic Studies (IASS) 2019-2024 representing UK. Jones has and continues to judge award shows such as AdForum's PHNX, FAB, Circulo de Oro, American Advertising Awards (ADDYs), and Cannes Young Lions UK.
Semiotics is Carl's preferred method to inspect meaning in visual communication. His papers on: Branding; Design; Digital Gaze; Advertising tools & Techniques; have been presented at global conferences, and published in a variety of languages in Europe and Latin America. His newspaper articles on Racism & Classism in Mexican advertising have had over 7,000 shares on Facebook alone.
Carl uses "Art Through Research" as a way to investigate and create subversive artworks. His pieces have been exhibited in galleries and museums in Mexico City, Toronto, Dubai, London, and others. Jones’s artwork is part of the ‘Fundacion Televisa Art Collection’ one of the largest in Latin America.
Degrees
BDes in Advertising & Design from the OCAD U Ontario College of Art & Design University in Toronto, Canada.
M.A. in Communication and Culture (joint degree) from York University and Ryerson University, both located in Toronto, Canada,.
Awards
In total Carl has won over 500 awards and recognitions for his creative work including Cannes Lions, London International Advertising Festival; Clios; Circulo Creativo de Mexico; Art Directors Club, and other leading advertising award shows.
Won silver in Royal College of Art '3 Minute Thesis competition 2021.
Nominated for "Excellence in Teaching" at OCAD University, and University of Westminster 2016, & 2018 and 'Educational Experience Award' in 2020.
Awarded Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) through the Professional Recognition and Enhancement Scheme for Teaching (Prestige)
Exhibitions
2024 Ad-Visions: Creative Advertising: 2 symbols equals 1 :. 90 Charity posters created through applications of semiotic thinking. London Gallery West. University of Westminster. Artists: Group exhibition of Carl's level 6 students . Curated by Carl W. Jones
2023 Royal College of Art: Research Biennale. 22 June – 24 June Racismo Neon project. 2 minute video. https://research-biennale.rca.ac.uk/search?student=Carl%20W.%20Jones
-2023 Racismo en México. De Nuestros Cuerpos a Nuestro Mundo. Posters #RacismoNeon Complejo Cultural Los Pinos, (Mexican White House) sala Benito Juárez. Mexico City.
-2022 #RacismoNeon London UK. 3 murals painted on walls in Kings Cross. Somers Gallery on Charlton Street Nov 1. 2. Sponsored by UK Mexican Art Society; Secretaría de Cultura Mexico.
-Espacio MonCa (Enlazarte) Centro Histórico, Mexico City. Jan 11-30, 2020. La Mirada Digital. Exhibition of 7 photographic images digitally printed in ink: 1 meter x 48 cm plus projection of videos ranging from 3 mins to 7 mins. Artist: Carl W. Jones
-Cultural and Scientific Association (NADWA) UAE. Emirates International Poster Festival (EIPF) Dubai. This is the first-of-its-kind creative platform in the MENA region developed to showcase and celebrate contemporary poster design from around the world. Asked to submit a poster design on ‘Tolerance’ exhibited Nov 11-16 2019 in Dubai. Designer: Carl W. Jones.
-Cracking the Established Order. De Montfort University, Leicester, U.K. June 27, 28.2019. Digital Gaze. Exhibition of 7 photographic images digitally printed in ink: 1 meter x 48 cm. https://www.cteo.space Artist: Carl W. Jones.
-Chalton Gallery. London, UK. September 15 – 27, 2017. Exposicion Pirata: Fase 1. Pirate Exhibition: Phase 1. Group show of art from the Casa de la cultura San Rafael in Mexico City. Artist: Carl W. Jones
-Casa de la Cultura San Rafael. Mexico City. July 22- 26 2016. Exposicion Pirata: Fase 1. Pirate Exhibition: Phase 1. Solo show of art interventions in London, Toronto and Mexico City. Artist: Carl W. Jones
-Museo de la Ciudad de Mexico/Museum of the City of Mexico. Mexico City. May 16- September 2016. Imagines para ver-te.(Racism in Mexico.) Invited to exhibit 4 paintings as part of group show. Artist: El Crayolas. Carl W. Jones
-OCAD University, Office of the president gallery. September 15 2013 – November 2015. Group show. Work selected: El Crayolas ‘The News’ Artist: Carl W. Jones
-Miami Ad School, Mexico, D.F. December 17 2013. Individual show presenting : El Crayolas Project 2005-2013. Artist: Carl W. Jones
-La Quinonera. Coyoacan, Mexico, D.F. August 10 - 23 2013. Individual show presenting: El Crayolas Project 2005-2013 Artist: Carl W. Jones http://www.elcrayolas.com
-OCADU gallery, Toronto, Canada. Ads for People: Selling Ethics in the Digital Age, OCADU onsite gallery. February-May 2013. Group show. Work selected: 3 x Michou Mau 'posters' & United Nations 'ashtray'. Artist/Creative director: Carl W. Jones
-Nuit Blanche (Unofficial), Toronto, October 2010. “Canada’s largest 3D wall mapping projection” against Union train Station. Downtown Toronto. Creative Director: Carl W. Jones.
Publications
2023 Massolit productions. 3 hours of filmed episodes on Semiotics. Massolit produces videos of university academics to produce high-quality, curriculum-linked video lectures for GCSE, A Level and IB students and teachers”, around the globe. Carl defined semiotics and related terms, then applied semiotic theory to advertising and press articles to uncover hidden messages relating to misogyny and racism.
2022 The Conversation. Balenciaga’s controversial new campaign is part of a long history of ‘shockvertising’ Dec 5th https://theconversation.com/balenciagas-controversial-new-campaign-and-the-long-history-of-shockvertising-195778
2022 Zapatista: Camino al Andar: Si la publicidad refleja la sociedad, entonces la publicidad es racista https://www.caminoalandar.org/post/si-la-publicidad-refleja-la-sociedad-entonces-la-publicidades-racista
2022 Roast Brief USA. How the Black Lives Matter movement is changing advertising globally – and why other communities are speaking up too. August 2022.
https://roastbrief.us/2022/08/how-the-black-lives-matter-movement-is-changing-advertising-globally-and-why-other-communities-are-speaking-up-too/
2021 Multidisciplines on Racism in Mexican Media. "Enfoques multidisciplinarios sobre el racismo en los medios de comunicación en México" Book chapter titled ‘Decolonizing Advertising’. Published by a Universidad Iberoamericana (CDMX).
2021 Applied Pedagogies in Higher Education. Real World Learning. Solent University Learning Institute.UK.Chapter 9: Final Project PR & Advertising. Palgrave Macmillan.
2021 (TBC.) Los Publicistas en Mexico. Advertising Creatives in Mexico. Published by the Universidad de la Communicacion. Mexico City. Wrote the Introduction, and a chapter on the History of Advertising in Mexico.
2021 Expresiones contemporáneas del racismo en México. Cuerpos, medios y educación. Chapter title: Racismo y classismo en la publicidad Mexicana. Published in Mexico by: Centro de Investigaciones Interdisciplinarias en Ciencias y Humanidades (CEIICH) de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM); May 2 . Universidad Pedagógica Nacional (UPN); Centro Universitario del Norte (CUNorte; de la Universidad de Guadalajara (UgD) ISBN: 978-607-571-132-4
2019 Meanings & Co.: the Interdisciplinarity of Communication, Semiotics and Multimodality, within the series Numanities - Arts and Humanities in Progress. Publishing house - Springer International. Germany. Title of Chapter: Racism & Classism in Mexican Advertising: An Exhibition of Visual Messaging.https://www.springer.com/us/book/9783319919850#otherversion=9783319919867
2019 Semiotics & Visual Communication ΙΙΙ, Cultures of Branding. Cambridge Scholars Publishers. UK. Title of Chapter: Personal branding ‘Encoding a personal brand through semiotics: a case study.’ https://www.cambridgescholars.com/semiotics-and-visual-communication-iii?fbclid=IwAR3D6NTz3EgPgLG6FJT_xKrUMtmWULx9QxQqP6xf4gM8zMkYTelfoBMzvG4
2014 Ads Send Out More Than the Client’s Message. Chapter 17 pp121-128 in the advertising book by Creative Social. Hacker, Maker, Teacher, Thief: Advertising's Next Generation. (2014). London. Available on lulu.com & Amazon.com.
2013 Proyecto El Crayolas Project 2005-2013. El Crayolas Art project book is published to coincide with art exhibit. Wrote and designed the book in Mexico City. Printed by Blurb.com . USA. (2013)
Research outputs
2024 Semiotics & Visual Communication ΙV,. Cambridge Scholars Publishers. UK. Title of Chapter: ‘Decoding myth-making through Semiotics in-order to Decolonize advertising. https://www.cambridgescholars.com/pages/search?search_type=full_search&search=SEMIOTICS+AND+VISUAL+COMMUNICATION
2021 Proceedings of 14th World Congress of Semiotics. Trajectories. Publishing house - Mouton De Gruyter. Title of paper: Racismo y Classismo en la publicidad Mexicana. Published Feb 4th 2021.https://iass-ais.org/proceedings2019/
2020 Westminster Papers in Communication and Culture Jones, C. W. (2020). Advertising and the Way Forward.XX(X), 1–5. DOI: https://doi.org/10.16997/wpcc.392
2020 Westminster Papers in Communication and Culture. Jones, C. W. (2020). The World According to Dave Trott: An Interview. XX(X), 1–12. DOI: https://doi.org/10.16997/wpcc.393
2020 The International Journal of Creative Media Research: Re-Envisioning the Role of Creative Media Research. Special issue on Cracking the Established Order Conference. This paper “Interrogating Democracy in the Digital Gaze” accompanies the 2019 exhibition ‘Digital Gaze’ at De Montfort University, Leicester, U.K. DOI: https://doi.org/10.33008/IJCMR.2020.01 | Issue 4 | June 2020 https://www.creativemediaresearch.org/post/interrogating-democracy-in-the-digital-gaze
2019 Semiotics & Visual Communication ΙΙΙ, Cultures of Branding. Cambridge Scholars Publishers. UK. Title of Chapter: Personal branding ‘Encoding a personal brand through semiotics: a case study.’ https://www.cambridgescholars.com/semiotics-and-visual-communication-iii?fbclid=IwAR3D6NTz3EgPgLG6FJT_xKrUMtmWULx9QxQqP6xf4gM8zMkYTelfoBMzvG4
2016 Proceedings of 12th World Congress of Semiotics. Between Tradition and Innovation. Publishing house - Mouton De Gruyter. Title of paper: Advertising tools & techniques applied to the brand Mr. Clean. http://www.iass-ais.org/proceedings2014/articles.php
Conferences
2024 IASS-AIS. 16th World Congress. Warsaw Poland. Presenting in 2 panels PhD research 'Decolonizing Advertising' & 'Semiotics of advertising' Sept 2-6.
https://www.semcon2024.com
2024 ICSVC. 5th International Conference on Semiotics and Visual Communication Cyprus University of Technology, Lemesos, Cyprus. 'Otherness and social constructs'. June 2024
2023 Global Media Education Summit 2023 at Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada. March 2-4. Conference Theme: Media Edu-cologies. Title of paper delivered: Resisting advertising through digital activism in order to decolonize the advertising process. Held with Bournemouth University. UK. https://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/research/centres-institutes/centre-excellence-media-practice/global-media-education-summit-2023
2022 IASS-AIS. 15th World Congress. Thessaloniki Greece. Presented PhD research into Decolonizing Advertising on two panels: 'Semiotics of advertising' & 'Semiotics of Resistance.' August 29- Sept 3.
2021 ICSVC. 4th International Conference on Semiotics and Visual Communication 2021. Cyprus University of Technology, Lemesos, Cyprus. Analysis of the Advertising tools and techniques in Mexico City . Nov 11-13 http://icsvc-conference.com
2021 Semiosis in Communication. Culture, Communication, and Social Change. Bucharest Romania. May 26-28. Panel Moderator: Meaning and Structure in Marketing & Advertising. Also presenting paper titled: Decolonizing Advertising. May 27. Master Lecture moderator Sat May 29. Evripides Zantides & Sonia Androu: Social change and the semiotics of the 2004 referendum advertisements in the Republic of Cyprus.
2021 Ibero University. Mexico City. KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Departamento de Comunicación Iinvite you to the first colloquial on racism in the Mexican media. Descolonizando la publicidad. April 29. Via zoom to anyone in Mexico: https://ibm.co/3rgNaOH .
2021 Critical Race and Media Studies Flash Symposium. How activist art can decolonize advertising. Feb 5. Ryerson University, York University, Toronto. Online.
2020 ICSVC. 4th International Conference on Semiotics and Visual Communication (SVC) “Decolonizing advertising through the analysis of tools and techniques appropriated to design myths”. Cyprus University of Technology, Lemesos, Cyprus 13th -15th of November 2020. http://icsvc-conference.com
2020 Mediating, Constructing and Dismantling Race(ism) CAMRI. University of Westminster. Decolonizing Advertising. 17 April. online
2020 History of Advertising Trust (HAT). London SouthBank University. Educational Summit. Invited participant of 15 selected guests who attended the day long workshop event. Feb 19.
2019 Trajectories 14th World Congress of Semiotics 2019. Buenos Aires, Argentina. Title of paper Racismo y clasismo en la publicidad Mexicana. First time research is presented in Spanish language. Sept 9-13. https://iass-ais.org/proceedings2019/
2019 Cracking the Established Order. De Montfort University, Leicester, U.K. June 27,28. Interrogating the Digital Gaze. Paper delivered. Published 2020. https://www.creativemediaresearch.org/post/interrogating-democracy-in-the-digital-gaze
2018 CREAM. Winter Phd symposium . "Transitioning Advertising” University of Westminster. Dec 13. London. U.K.
2018 Fields of Dreams Symposium. RCA. Royal College of Art. Research Panel member discussing latest MPhil/Phd research into Transitioning Advertising. White City Place. London. Oct 30.
2018 Researcher Network. Research & Visibility conference. CREAM. University of Westminster. June 20. London. U.K. "Personal branding: ‘Encoding a personal brand through semiotics: a case study.”
2018 International Conference Semiosis in Communication: Differences and Similarities, June 14-16, Bucharest, Romania. "Personal branding: ‘Encoding a personal brand through semiotics: a case study.” I was also Moderator of Visual Communication, Semiotics and Consumer Culture in this session http://centrucomunicare.ro/semiosis/semiosisc_2018.html
2017 ICSVC. 3rd International Conference on Semiotics and Visual Communication 2017. Cyprus University of Technology, Lemesos, Cyprus. Personal branding. Nov 3-5 http://icsvc-conference.com
2016 Semiosis in Communication. Bucharest, Romania. Racism and Classism in Mexican Advertising. Paper and ‘research through art’ presented 16-18 June.
2014 UAAC annual conference. Toronto. October 24 2014. Carl Jones, Chair of panel. Advertising Theory: interception between practice and scholarship. Introducing Ad Theory.
2014 SEMIO 12th World Congress on Semiotics, New Bulgarian University, Sofia. Advertising tools & techniques applied to the brand Mr. Clean. Presented paper during refereed conference proceedings. Marketing Semiotics Roundtable. Sept 20