Open 2.0

In 2020, we launched OPEN 2.0, our action plan for achieving systemic equity throughout Omnicom. Our mission is to attain equal representation, development, support and retention of marginalized groups, and, in particular in the U.S., for Black, Hispanic, Asian and Indigenous professionals and all people of color. OPEN 2.0 specifies eight action items that are currently underway and helping us achieve systemic equity faster and more effectively. This action plan will maintain our energy and focus for years to come and help ensure our colleagues feel seen and supported within all Omnicom agencies. Details and initiatives for these eight action items are shared throughout our 2020 CR Report.

Not A Gun Goodby Silverstein & Partners

Using film to increase racial sensitivity

Black people are three times more likely to be killed by police than white people. And oftentimes, when police officers are questioned why they pulled the trigger, they say, “I thought they had a gun.” The Courageous Conversation Global Foundation (CCGF), an organization that leads bias training workshops to help drive systemic change through interracial healing, teamed up with Goodby Silverstein & Partners to create “Not a Gun,” a campaign to bring awareness to this tragic reality. The campaign launched in February 2020 with a film illustrating how a candy bar in a white person’s hand can translate to a gun when in a Black person's hand. Later in the year, after the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, they launched a second film, “Being Black is Not a Crime.” The work helped CCGF earn a 900% increase in racial-sensitivity training.