Advertising boss: It is a shame some advertisers are still ‘petrified’ of depicting diversity
A leader in the advertising industryĀ has spoken out to say that he thinks it is “inappropriate” that advertisers are still reluctant to show diversity in society.
Speaking atĀ Mumsnet’s Mumstock event in London today, Richard Hunnington, director of strategy at Saatchi and Saatchi said despite some efforts to show diversity, many advertisers were still “petrified” to depict families other than that which has become the norm.
Hunnington said: “The vast majority of the marketing community is petrified of that sort of diversity and itās a real shame. Itās a battle weāve been fighting for decades yet our ads still feature white women in kitchens.”
“I think it is really upsetting and inappropriate to keep representing a society that doesnāt exist,” he went on.
The Drum reports that representatives from Boots, Asda, Merlin and Saatchi & Saatchi discussed the difficulties faced on social media by companies possibly depicting more diverse images of society, and that the unless “authenticity” is achieved, criticism can be faced.
