Inclusive marketing

Our brands have a critical role to play in shaping a more tolerant and inclusive society through our advertising.

As one of the world’s largest advertisers, we’re committed to playing our part across the industry to ensure that everyone, from script to screen, sees themselves represented. We use our marketing to challenge stereotypes and celebrate diversity and we are committed to investing to address the under-representation of diverse voices in media, making mainstream media more inclusive. 

As a critical part of our Spirit of Progress strategy, we champion diversity, equity and inclusion by using our creative and media spend to support progressive voices.

Our approach

Through our progressive marketing approach, we challenge stereotypes and inspire consumers with who we portray in our advertising, ensuring that everything we create is underpinned by deep insight and understanding of cultural context. This ambition is achieved through continuous capability building within our business.

Our Progressive Marketing Framework and training modules, such as inclusive design, allow us to be at the forefront of breaking stereotypes in advertising for gender, race, sexuality, age, disability and social status.

As industry leaders, we can also help to change the landscape of our creative industry. We are committed to ensuring that our agencies, content creators, directors, producers and beyond represent the rich diversity of our consumers.

United Nations Unstereotype Alliance

As members of the Unstereotype Alliance, we are championing the end of bias and harmful stereotypes in advertising. We collaborate with our peers to help create a world without stereotypes, empowering and embracing people in all their diversity, regardless of gender, race, social class, age, ability, ethnicity, religion, sexuality, language or education.

World Federation of Advertisers’ Diversity & Inclusion Taskforce (WFA)

We are members of the WFA’s Diversity and Inclusion Taskforce (WFA connects the world's biggest brand owners and national advertiser associations in more than 60 markets). This global network offers a unique source of leadership, expertise and inspiration. We have worked in partnership to create guidance on tackling diversity and representation issues throughout the entire creative process, from defining brand challenges and connecting with audiences to evaluation and analysis.

Creative Equals’ Creative Comeback

Since 2019, we have sponsored the Creative Equals Returner scheme, which supports women in creative industries as they return after a career break. In 2023, we extended our sponsorship to the new Disabled Creatives programme, which aims to support disabled and neurodivergent creatives into work. 

Our Spirit of Progress targets

  • Increase spend with diverse-owned and disadvantaged businesses each year to 2030.