The Diversity Focus

We speak to the those within advertising spearheading attempts to create industry equality around the issues of race, gender, disability, class and more.

Insight

Black Creative: Race and the advertising industry

Great Guns director Meena Ayittey exclusively premieres her hour-long documentary discussing what is it like to be Black and working in the UK advertising industry, alongside an in-depth Q&A on its creation.

Craft

Navigating authenticity and cultural range with Kimi Howl Lee

A playwright-turned-director, Kimi Howl Lee focuses on heritage, truth, and the strengths (and struggles) of presenting a story that is exceptionally unique.

Talent

Korrie Powell: Confronting the rage

Korrie Powell's new film and photographic project, RAGE, is a powerful, self-reflective exploration of the relationship between Black men and masculinity. Here, the young director and photographer delves into the meanings behind the film, and the reasons for making it.

Insight

Drawing closer: the progression of women in animation

With gender equality being a primary concern in live-action production, Final Frontier EP Julieta Zajaczkowski asks if enough is being done in the commercial animation sector.

Insight

Why disability has been left behind in the push for diversity

As we continue our diversity focus across October, director Martin Smith discusses the topic of disability within advertising. With the industry rightly examining its failures to address issues of race, gender and class inclusion, Smith wonders why, up to now, the signs for disabled inclusivity have not been good.

Insight

How we perceive Black strength is holding us back

Strong, indefatigable, heroic... Black people are seen as tough customers because, well, they'd have to be to progress in a world - and in an industry - where the odds are stacked against them. But, argues Siân Blackman, Senior Account Manager at Creativebrief, being seen as strong could ultimately be a weakness in the fight for equality.

Insight

A sincere hope for diversity

Is diversity a trend on which big brands, agencies and others in the advertising industry are attempting to capitalise? Dan Mallerman, Partner and Head of New Business at Kode, hopes not.

Talent

Meena Ayittey: Showing it like it is

The daughter of Ghanaian immigrants, Meena Ayittey eschewed her parents’ conventional career aspirations to forge a successful career in the creative industries. Recently signed to Great Guns, she finds rich filmic inspiration in the concept of racism, from her heartrending tribute to the Black Lives Matter movement to a new documentary lifting the lid on creatives of colour and the challenges of adland.

Insight

Voices for diversity

From Hook and Line, owner Bryan Senti and partner Abby Diamond collaborate on an essay that reflects how music companies need to step up to match their audio talent to the ad content.

Inspiration

On My Radar: Justyna Obasi

Park Pictures director Justyna Obasi cites the 'next level convenience' of a certain Apple product, loves a particular 'socially critical and entertaining' TV show, and though recognises advertising's progress with regards diversity, says there's a lot more that can still be done.

Insight

Diversity: Is the industry doing enough?

The impetus to affect change is growing, but are businesses and brands walking the walk or just talking the talk? Tim Cumming speaks to a range of industry leaders, directors and activists pursuing the goal of a level playing field in the creative industries.

Insight

Racism, rosters, and what you can do

In the months since the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, many of us have confronted our industry’s continued sidelining of BIPOC talent—and the realities are harsh. Managing Partner of m ss ng p eces, Kate Oppenheim, reflects on how leaders can change the industry for the better, right now.

Inspiration

On My Radar: Tiffany Persons

Tiffany Persons, Director of Empathy at David & Goliath LA, shares her love for documentaries, her reliance on "the greatest multi-purpose wonder-product in the world", and talks about the difference between inclusion and being included.

Talent

Em Weinstein’s queer homecoming

We talk to emerging director Em Weinstein about their recent win at Outfest, how to disrupt the gender binaries in film, how to make festivals more approachable, and what it will take to make storytelling more inclusive.

Putting women behind the wheel How to... get serious about social mobility Music’s Color Correction: Why audio companies need to tune in to diversity

Inspiration

On My Radar: Munzie Thind

GCRS' Sound Designer Munzie Thind cites a perfick comedy and a recent rave retrospective as two of his inspirations and, for our diversity focus, he reveals his experiences of working in the advertising industry in the early 90s.

Insight

Young, diverse and in need of a break; how can the ad industry welcome talent from all walks of life?

As we begin our month-long focus on diversity within the industry, Shanandore Robinson, a Brixton Finishing School graduate, shares her experiences of trying to break into an industry that isn't always as welcoming as it could be.

Insight

When it comes to diversity, we’ve only just begun

Four months after the advertising industry pledged to change for the better, Sophie Gold, Founder & Executive Producer of Eleanor, asks how much work has really been done and where do we go from here?

The Sustainability Focus

It’s the burning question – with humanity facing an existential threat more potent than war, famine or disease, how can an industry full of world-class communicators talk about the climate crisis? shots discusses low-carbon film production, greenwashing and the paradox of consumerism vs planetary survival.

The Neurodiversity Focus

With growing awareness that an estimated 20 per cent of the global population is neurodiverse - the fact that advertising needs to get on top of the spectrums is a no-brainer. This month, shots speaks to experts, commentators and ADHD/ASD-powered adfolk about battling stigma, enhanced creativity and making more ND inclusive campaigns.

The Music Video Focus

Since the 90s, when their budgets ran to millions, the internet and tech advances have made music videos easier to view, cheaper to produce and, possibly, more disposable. But is the medium a dying art, or still the best way for a director to get noticed? shots probes the state of the promo nation.

The Photography & Cinematography Focus

In a cacophonous digital culture that bombards us with a stream of personal image-sharing and branded visuals, it can be hard for photography to stand out. This month, shots pulls focus on the DPs and photographers whose work sets the optic nerves a-tingle and considers the input of non-human image generators.