They used AI to clapback at hate!

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Hello, Creative Souls.

Let’s be honest.
No one wants to watch your ad.

They’re too busy binging K-dramas, doom scrolling the planet’s downfall, or watching a 3-hour video essay on why a cartoon character is secretly a metaphor for capitalism. In that chaotic mix, your ad better not just interrupt — it better contribute.

That’s why Go Back to Africa by FCB/SIX for Black & Abroad isn’t just a great campaign. It’s a lesson in what modern advertising can (and should) be.

Because here’s the truth: the best ads don’t chase attention.
They earn it.

The Insight: Start with Hate. End with Hope.

“Go back to Africa” isn’t just a phrase — it’s one of the most commonly hurled racial slurs against Black individuals online. Sometimes by anonymous trolls. Sometimes by people in power. Every three minutes, someone tweets it.

Most brands would run from that kind of fire.
Black & Abroad walked into it — and rewired the entire narrative.

The Flip That Made You Look

Instead of silencing the hate, the campaign monitored it.
Every time someone tweeted “Go back to Africa,” the algorithm captured it — and reclaimed it.

But here’s where it gets brilliant:
The campaign didn’t clap back.
It didn’t cancel.
It didn’t even shout.

It responded with beauty.

Each hateful phrase was paired with stunning, cinematic footage of African countries — not poverty porn, not wildlife clichés, but real travel content featuring Black joy, Black travelers, Black culture in all 54 countries.

In an industry where tourism ads still overwhelmingly center white faces, this one made one bold, overdue statement:

It Wasn’t Just an Ad. It Was a Platform.

They built GoBackToAfrica.com, powered by a custom AI tool using Google Vision. It scraped Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to find travel images that featured Black individuals — then geotagged and organized them by country.

The result? A dynamic, living gallery of Black travel experiences in Africa.
Part search engine. Part movement.
100% poetic justice.

#ad

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They Didn’t Target Demographics. They Targeted Dreams.

Using smart programmatic targeting, the ads showed different versions depending on your interests. Love food? You’d see street cuisine in Ghana. Into adventure? You’d get safari treks in Kenya or dune surfing in Namibia.

Everything was tailored, beautiful, and affirming.
This wasn’t representation for the sake of checking a box. It was personal relevance done right.

What You Can Learn From This (Seriously, Steal This Energy)

• Crash the party — but bring champagne.
  As Bob Thacker put it: all advertising is unwanted. So if you're going to interrupt someone’s scroll, make it worth it. This campaign didn’t just show up. It elevated the room.

• Hijack with intelligence.
  Don’t jump on random trends. Hijack the things that already have cultural gravity — and flip them with empathy and insight.

• Build tools, not just noise.
  This campaign didn’t stop at awareness. It gave people something to use. Something to belong to. That’s how you move from marketing to momentum.

• Respect the audience.
  Don’t preach. Don’t pander. Just offer something that makes them feel seen — and proud to be seen.

Final Word from us:

Great advertising doesn’t yell.
It listens. It flips. It reframes.

If your brand ever finds itself near the edges of a cultural conversation, don’t shove your way in with a promo code. Step in with meaning. With art. With relevance.

Because when you take a weaponized phrase and turn it into a celebration of identity — you’re not just making a campaign.
You’re rewriting the script.

And that’s the kind of work that lives on.

See you next week,
– Team Figment

Figment is written by Abbhinav Kastura, a writer/producer who has spent a decade making impactful internet videos and Guru Nicketan, an advertising nerd, B2B Marketer, stand-up comedian, and a film buff.