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Loeries Special Section

Loeries Youth Committee launches diversity, equity and inclusion checklist

Research compiled by The Loeries on Gender Representation in Film Advertising shows that despite progress by the advertising industry, gender stereotypes are still creeping into the work it creates.
Source: © The Loeries
Source: © The Loeries The Loeries

One set of results highlights that on average, men dominated 61% of Speaking Time and 57% of Screen Time, compared to their female counterparts.

To help change such disparities the Loeries Youth Committee (LYC) was set up in 2021, in partnership with Meta and United Nations (UN) Women, to support young brand communication professionals, from Africa and the Middle East, with knowledge, training and the opportunity to create real change in the industry.

The DE&I checklist

A key focus of the LYC was to investigate gender stereotypes in the advertising/marketing sector and proactively create a tool that would add value to the industry’s focus on breaking down stereotypes in society.

To help change such disparities, the Loeries Youth Committee has created a simple diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) checklist.

The checklist can be accessed online. Your organisation will remain 100% anonymous and the form will just take five minutes to complete.

Responses will be captured by The Loeries and tallied up to inform an annual report by The Loeries on DE&I transformation within the industry.

This is a tool to help the industry craft more inclusive, honest, people-first creative work and will ensure that diverse voices are authentically represented from brief to execution.

A more diverse, equitable and inclusive society

“The DE&I checklist was conceptualised to hold individuals and agencies accountable for creative output within the industry, and the message it sends to people outside of the industry,” says Kgaugelo Mokgehle, creative writer at TBWA Hunt Lascaris and chairperson of the LYC.

“While the Loeries Youth Committee manifesto was created more as an internal mantra for future cohorts, both elements highlight fundamental principles that should inform the work of every creative.

“Not only will they inspire better creatives, they are also a necessary metric, against which agencies can measure their progress in establishing a more diverse, equitable and inclusive society,” says Mokgehle.

To introduce the DE&I checklist, the LYC created an accompanying manifesto video, Rewrite the Script which is a rallying cry to the industry to highlight that the youth are ready to partner in the fight to break societal stereotypes.

Rewrite the Script, was produced by TopLevelFilms, a production house founded by up-and-coming director, Tshegofatso Mahlong.

Find more information on the checklist and the DE&I checklist tool here

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