Channel 4 has revealed its six-strong shortlist of brands and agencies who will be vying for its 2023 Diversity in Advertising Award, celebrating LGBTQIA+ communities.
The broadcaster settled on this year’s theme after research indicated that brands were stepping from portraying LGBTQIA+ communities over backlash fears.
Channel 4 has called on all non-shortlisted brands and creative agencies who entered the scheme to produce campaigns that will kickstart a step change in LGBTQIA+ representation.
The six shortlisted brand and agencies are as follows: Absolut (Ogilvy UK); The AA (The Gate London); Durex (Havas London); E45 (The&Partnership); Bodyform (AMV BBDO) and Snag (Dentsu Creative).
“Diversity is a top priority for Channel 4 and since its inception our Diversity In Advertising Award has always pushed brands to explore new ways to be authentically inclusive in their advertising creatives, to better represent the UK population,” Channel 4 chief revenue officer Veriça Djurdjevic said.
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“The challenge we posed for this year’s award has been answered with our strongest field of entries ever! But whilst we are hugely excited to see the six shortlisted brands develop their ideas through the next stage of the competition, it would be a shame to see so many impactful campaign ideas fall by the wayside after so much effort, insight, creativity and expertise has been invested.
“So, for the first time ever, we are actively calling on the industry to follow-through with their creative ideas even if they haven’t been shortlisted for the main prize. Whilst this award scheme cannot financially support every campaign, we’re standing by to support brands and creative agencies in whatever way we can, to bring as many of these brilliant LGBTQIA+ campaigns as possible to the nation”.
The £1m prize calls on entrants to focus on authentic portrayals by being bold and ‘Proud All Over’, a nod to Channel 4’s own ongoing Pride campaign that addresses allyship in smaller, provincial communities.
The shortlisted entrants will face an expert panel in October 2023, which will include representatives from the Advertising Association, the IPA, Thinkbox, ISBA and 4Creative, alongside members of Outvertising, charity Not A Phase and Channel 4’s LGBT+ staff network, 4Pride.
