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Tech giant Google has teamed up with Ludacris and Flo Milli to launch its annual “Black-owned Friday” campaign. Last year, Google’s “shoppable” video starred Normani and T-Pain. This year’s effort features the iconic rapper in an interactive music video featuring Black-owned businesses and products available on Black Friday.
At each scene, viewers get the chance to choose what type of business they want the next part of the music video to take place in. Then, as Luda and Flo Millie move from business to business, they’re clothed in, using and surrounded by products from over 70 Black companies.
At any point during the video, viewers can click a button in the top right corner to “shop this scene”. All of the products featured in the scene will appear in a list so viewers can shop. The three minute video features more than 100 total products for viewers to check out.
The video drops days before Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year. For decades, the day has centered around frenzied shoppers fighting for the best deals at big-box retailers. Now, shoppers prefer online options, opening up opportunities for more small businesses to engage.
Pre-COVID, sales at Black-owned businesses account for just 0.5% of all Black Friday and holiday shopping
In 2021 alone, businesses did nearly $40 billion in sales during Black Friday shopping. An estimated 155 million Americans streamed into online or brick-and-mortar stores to take advantage of deals. The vast majority of the money spent will not go to Black-owned businesses.
In fact, according to Nordstrom, of the $800 billion dollars spent by consumers during the 2019 holiday season, less than 0.5% will be spent at a Black-owned business.
In the wake of the murder of George Floyd, companies began committing more shelf space to Black-made products. Target, for instance, has pledged to invest billions in Black-owned companies through product purchasing, accelerator launches and more.
This year, people will likely find themselves with more opportunity than ever before to do all of their Black Friday and holiday shopping at a Black-owned business.
As Luda and Flo Milli said, “when I’m shopping, man I’m buying all Black.”