In the lead up to International Women’s Day 2019, drinks giant Diageo released a short film that aims to normalise diversity and inclusion in who brands choose to show in their ads, and who is chosen to make them.

“Through the millennia, culture has been shaped by the stories we tell. And if you think about it, advertising is telling stories that are backed by billions of dollars to have them heard.”

– Syl Saller, Diageo CMO

Prior to releasing the film, Diageo conducted an extensive survey across their own portfolio of brands and regional markets, recognising an issue with the number of women portrayed in their own ads, and the way in which they were represented.

The results from the study were distilled into simple principles and a practical training model that was rolled out to 1200 marketing staff across the world, as well as to agency partners.

“Agencies won’t feel the imperative to change unless it’s going to impact their bottom line. So having a brand like Diageo go out with a statement of intent will really help their agencies change the ratio.”

– Ali Hanan, founder of Creative Equals