Cheers for diversity or pure PR?

Kate Grant is the new brand Ambassador and the flagship of the company Benefit Cosmetics. She is 20 years old and she has down syndrome. "Thank you for showing that beauty comes in more than one Form!", "Wonderful. I would like to see more pictures of her and more inclusivity!". On the social media there was a lot of encouragement for the images.

The English magazine "Metropol" said Grant's mother, her daughter to listen to me for a lot of others. "Kate is aware of this and would like to create more awareness for inclusion and people with disabilities." You speak for all of you that can't do it yourself.

Aerie shows in his underwear advertisements, women are drawn from diseases or physically disabled. Source: Twitter

Worldwide there is a Trend to more diversity in advertising. Kate Grant is not the first Model with down syndrome. Madeline Stuart and Jamie Brewer were already at the Fashion Week in New York, a child with trisomy 21 is seen in a toy advertisement from Fisher-Price. The campaign of underwear label, Aerie shows you women in wheelchairs, with crutches, colostomy, Diabetes, Vitiligo.

Young want to be shown more diversity

A survey of 2500 marketing experts from five countries: they believe in the Benefits of diversity in the advertising, for the company, but of course also for the Image of the company. Nine out of ten professionals believe that the younger generations would even expect more diversity in advertising.

The Numbers from 2018 to show the areas in which the respondents are more on diversity in their advertising images. Interestingly, the younger the advertiser, the more you are exposed to diversity in their campaigns.

Brazil is well advanced, according to this study, especially to show images of people of different origin and skin color, as well, when it comes to same-sex couples, and people with disabilities. The latter both have it in Germany especially hard to be in advertisements taken into account.

What you think is in Switzerland, of such advertising, and there are in this country? Caspar Heuss Executive Creative Director of Wirz, the PR Agency of the year 2018. He is skeptical. The British cosmetics manufacturer was not likely to be diversity, as Heuss. The campaign with a Model with down syndrome should provoke especially and the brand into the conversation to bring what was obviously a success. He finds the game of the company, however, is slightly transparent.

An exception in Switzerland: Mannequins in a shop window of a fashion store, the body form an Image of real people with disabilities. A campaign by Pro Infirmis. Source: Youtube

In Switzerland, you should be cautious with advertising, people with disabilities or with down syndrome, so Heuss. As a positive example, he cites but the action of the Association Pro Infirmis. 2013 had these mannequins according to the model of the physically disabled customize. They were seen at a fashion house on Zurich's Bahnhofstrasse, and should promote the acceptance of people with disabilities. Although the Echo was large, one had to be careful, as Heuss. The action was referred to cosmetic advertising from the UK comparable.

For a PR professional Heuss is a good example of how we can show diversity in advertising. Source: Lovelife.ch

skin Regarding color, religious Background, or same-sex couples to give the Agency Wirz effort to map all the range. However, it is not least for this reason, to show an Image of the Swiss society. In this, the big white part of the people and without physical impairment. It is also understandable that the majority of the persons in this reflect. "The part of the company does not scan the part of a majority, but it is also the task of the advertising," says Heuss. The question of what society is outdated and what is realistic concern, however, among experts for discussions.

Whether or how much diversity will be shown, depends, according to Heuss of the respective campaign. The "Love Life"-advertising for AIDS prevention have offered to help, well, advertise is very diverse and not to act chumming.

Katjes showed in a commercial a woman with a headscarf. This was celebrated by the one, the others boycotted the brand. Source: Youtube

the reach of a campaign and the Client shall be decisive, says Heuss. A company of lancers in a campaign with a myriad of different Subjects, whether it is to be understood that a different range of people could be shown. Different than when a Customer realize only three Posters.

Also, customers would not want to be taking in on discussions about diversity in their advertising. Because, as the commercial for Katjes, in which a woman's appearance with a head scarf, clearly have shown that advertising can polarize.

was That in the Katjes Spot a woman with a headscarf, was celebrated by some, others have boycotted the brand after that. In Switzerland, there were companies that could afford a Boycott by consumers and the Scare of target groups, others do not, says Heuss.

(editing Tamedia)

Created: 24.01.2019, 20:07 PM