In what ways is the advert “The Look” ‘a story about bias’ in contemporary American society?

the look communicates the prejudice and racism black men face daily. without any words, proctor and gamble tell a story about a man who is constantly followed by a specific look given by ‘white’ people. with the use of camera angles and setting the story makes the viewer feel almost uncomfortable in the way they express bias, causing the audience to empathise with the protagonist.

this scene is set in an office building where people were walking into a lift. they leave no space for the black man and give him ‘the look’. the look is a judgemental stare as if these people are looking down on the protagonist. to show the social exclusion the man faces, the elevator acts as a physical barrier, a metaphor for how society consciously or subconsciously excludes African Americans.

the man’s son represents nativity and innocence. that one day he will have to face all this prejudice and judgement. it shows that its a repeated cycle that happens generation after generation.