Google is reimagining Black Friday for the fifth year with its annual ‘Black-Owned Friday’ campaign, a star-studded initiative designed to inspire shoppers to celebrate and support Black entrepreneurship.
The campaign’s centerpiece is a short film directed by award-winning filmmaker Rodney Lucas, who brings his south side of Chicago roots and globally recognized talent to the project. It also features rapper GloRilla, comedian Druski and influencer Jayda Cheaves.
In the ad, Druski visits three Black-owned businesses in Georgia: Royal Crown Barber Shop, The Wellness Spot yoga studio and Wadada Healthy Market & Juice Bar. Using Google Maps to navigate his journey, the comedian showcases each location’s unique offerings, blending humor and heartfelt storytelling.
It also marks the fifth year Google has partnered with the US Black Chambers (USBC) to amplify this initiative. Known as the “National Voice of Black Businesses,” USBC provides advocacy and resources to grow Black-owned enterprises. Together, the organizations encourage consumers to rethink their holiday shopping habits by supporting Black entrepreneurs.
Valaurie Lee, owner of The Wellness Spot in College Park, Georgia, shared her personal journey in a heartfelt blog post for the campaign. “I’m thrilled to participate in Google’s fifth annual Black-owned Friday campaign,” she wrote. “I’ve witnessed firsthand the power Black-owned businesses have to foster vibrant communities and how much community support means to entrepreneurs like me.”
This year’s campaign also highlights Google’s tools for business owners, such as the Black-owned business attribute on Google Search and the ByBlack platform powered by USBC. These resources aim to increase visibility for Black-owned brands year-round, not just during the holidays.
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The creative agency behind Google’s Black Owned Friday campaign is Entropico. Explore the film and discover featured businesses at g.co/blackownedfriday.
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