Channel 4’s 2023 Diversity in Advertising Award will challenge the industry over its perceived lack of genuine representation of LGBTQIA+ people in TV advertising across the UK.
The theme follows insight commissioned by the broadcaster which indicates that brands are actively stepping back from portraying LGBTQIA+ communities due to fears of a backlash from certain sections of the public.
The 2023 award will challenge brands to be bold and ‘Proud All Over’, and will look to build on the 2019 award’s main theme – with Channel 4 alarmingly pointing out that there’s has been 0% growth in LGBTQIA+ representation in advertising since then, appearing in only 3% of all adverts.
Brands will be encouraged to place the LGBTQIA+ community at the very heart of the campaign, with a concrete focus on realistic representation as opposed to stereotypical depictions of mostly younger, gay white men.
“This year we are looking for brands to be bold and ‘Proud all Over’ with their entries, reflecting authentic stories and experiences of LGBTQIA+ communities across the UK, and fearlessly going further than the stereotypical representation highlighted in our research,” Channel 4 chief revenue officer Verica Djurdjevic said.
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“We are looking forward to the responses being as multi-faceted as the brief this year, and encourage brands to explore all aspects of this community and genuinely embrace and reflect the true stories of Britain’s communities.”
She added: “Diversity and inclusion in the advertising world still remains disproportionate, and Channel 4 and 4Sales are dedicated to loudly supporting LGBTQIA+ communities and improving representation in the industry. We are incredibly excited to present an enhanced LGBTQIA+ brief this year to reflect the full spectrum of this community and look forward to creative campaigns pushing new boundaries”
Open for submissions til September 7, the winning brand will receive over £1m worth of video advertising space across the Channel 4 portfolio of linear TV, streaming and YouTube.
A judging panel containing experts from across the industry will be responsible for determining the winner at the conclusion of the finalists’ pitches in October.
