Valenstein & Fatt takes home Channel 4 diversity prize
Valenstein & Fatt's Volvo campaign will receive £1m of free air-time in September after winning Channel 4's first Annual Diversity in Advertising Award.
The competition, which will focus on a different area of diversity each year, is part of a long-term commitment from Channel 4 to improving diversity in advertising.
This year's theme focused on non-visible disability, and saw more than 50 entries highlight a wide range of non-visible disabilities; including depression, autism and Alzheimer's disease.
Seven other shortlisted entries, including adam&eve DDB's work with Lloyds Banking Group, will receive match-funded air-time if they pursue the creative ideas presented to the judging panel.
Last year's 'Superheroes Wanted' competition was Channel 4's first attempts to encourage brands to be more inclusive in their advertising. The competition was won by Maltesers' 'Look on the bright side of disability', its most successful campaign in 10 years.
Valenstein & Fatt's award win comes as the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport published their latest employment figures, including the news that the number of people from BAME backgrounds working in the creative industries has grown by 15% since 2015, far outpacing that of the wider UK workforce.
IPA Head of Diversity, Leila Siddiqi sat on the Channel 4 Diversity Award judging panel and also chairs the IPA Diversity Roundtable Series.
This latest instalment saw representatives from Channel 4, Google, Elle, the British Fashion Council and Everything Different discussing their current diversity strategies and the challenges they are facing in implementing them; the issues surrounding cultural appropriation; and Google's views on the future of learning.
To help encourage inclusion in both the workplace and the ads and ensure its members reach diversity targets set for 2020, the IPA are looking for agencies to nominate three Diversity Champions, who will act as spokespeople and role models within their organisations. More information on Diversity Champions can be found at the IPA's Diversity Hub; for the full Diversity Roundtable series visit the IPA YouTube channel.
Join the conversation by using #IPADiversity or by emailing the IPA's Head of Diversity, Leila Siddiqi on leila@ipa.co.uk.