What do Taco Bell, Snapple, Pizza Hut and Nintendo all have in common? The answer we are looking for is Deutsch! Deutsch is the creative mastermind behind all of the catchy commercials and advertisements we see for these products.

On March 9th, 2016, LGBTQ students and allies from NYC high schools had the chance to go to the Deutsch headquarters and hear from a panel of Deutsch’s LGBTQ affinity group. The panelists spoke about the power of finding many different kinds of role models to look up to. A student said she related to one panelist’s coming out story because “I built up the stigma of being gay to a degree that was more extreme than it really way”. The panel left the students inspired and ready for a group activity where they could engage more with the Deutsch employees. Everyone got a taste of advertising with the chance to brainstorm and create a commercial pitch for one of Deutsch’s clients, PNC. A student said their favorite part of the event was the pitch, “because it was a great example of the intersection of identity and work”. The panelists and students worked together to create commercials with a focus on diversity, and the result left students with a better grasp of the many opportunities in the advertising world and the bright futures ahead of them.