Adland open letter calls for solidarity and action after death of George Floyd

UK advertising and media leaders have issued an open letter calling on the industry to address inequality and take action against racism following the death of George Floyd.

More than 200 industry leaders have added their signatures to the letter, which pledges solidarity with black talent and proposes concrete steps to achieve greater equality within the creative sectors. 

Protests continue to take place in the US and around the world after Floyd was killed while under arrest by police in Minneapolis last week. 

The letter asks advertising leaders to support talent of colour and to hold the industry accountable in 10 ways, including: calling out racism whenever it is encountered; making business leaders and boards accountable for driving representation; enabling employees to understand their privileges and biases; creating safe and inclusive spaces for open conversations about racism; and checking in with black employees. 

"As a creative sector, what we do and who we represent has a profound impact on culture, yet systemic inequality continues in our industry," the letter reads. "We call on those in positions of influence to harness the cultural power of advertising to bring authentic prominence to the crisis of racial injustice."

The message points to the persisting inequalities within advertising that were revealed in the latest IPA Agency Census, published in April. The census found that the proportion of staff in UK agencies from black, Asian and minority-ethnic backgrounds has fallen at each of the three most senior levels. Just 4.7% of C-suite executives were from a BAME background on 1 September 2019, down from 5.5% in 2018. People from BAME backgrounds also make up a slightly smaller proportion of the overall workforce, down 0.1 percentage point to 13.7%.

"As inequality is so ingrained within the fabric of society and our sector, this is a problem we need to take action on together to affect change," the letter continues.

Read the full letter below. 

#SayHisName: George Floyd

Advertising leaders commit to actions not words

Against a backdrop of uncertainty and struggle created by the pandemic, the past few months have seen a global explosion of hate crimes targeting black people. We have witnessed horrific images of African communities in China being subject to exclusion and violence; black key workers in the UK exposed to high-risk situations and even the physical assault of Belly Mujinga; in the US we have seen the killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and the violent death of George Floyd. This comes in the same week as a white woman made a ‘weaponised’ call to the police falsely accusing Christian Cooper of threatening her life in Central Park after he asked her to leash her dog.

While the brutality has brought widespread shock, the direct effect of this injustice and violence on black people cannot be overestimated. The UK Home Office reports that hate crimes have been steadily increasing over the last seven years. In 2018/19, there were 103,379 hate crimes recorded by the police in England and Wales. The majority of these hate crimes were race hate crimes, accounting for around three-quarters of offences (76%; 78,991 offences). This marks an increase of 11 per cent from 2017/18. These were only the reported and recorded crimes: thousands more go unreported. As workers are increasingly expected to operate and have a presence online it is imperative that leaders of industry are aware of the dangers both online and offline. 

As a creative sector, what we do and who we represent has a profound impact on culture, yet systemic inequality continues in our industry. UK IPA industry census data, published in April 2020, confirmed minimal gains have been made in diversifying the ethnic make-up of leadership. We have gone backwards at a leadership level, with 4.7% of executives being recorded as BAME in 2019, compared to 5.5% in 2018. It has never been more important to show up as an industry and face up to our own challenges as leaders. We need to drive equity in our organisations, the people we hire, the work we produce and how we engage with clients.

The advertising industry needs to create and maintain inclusive cultures sensitive to inequity and the pain of racism. We ask people across the industry to be conscious of the trauma that many black colleagues and their peers may be experiencing, as they process the news and fallout of the killing of George Floyd and other acts of violence. We call on those in positions of influence to harness the cultural power of advertising to bring authentic prominence to the crisis of racial injustice.

It is not the sole responsibility of our black colleagues to address this imbalance, nor to educate us on the inequities that racism in our industry creates. As inequality is so ingrained within the fabric of society and our sector, this is a problem we need to take action on together to affect change. We can all self-educate. We can all challenge our prejudices and those of others. We are all able to prioritise diversity, equity and inclusion at this critical time.

As Heide Gardner, senior-vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer of Interpublic Group, states: "The ultimate test of belonging is not when we support each other on issues we can personally identify with, or what we have in common. The ultimate test of belonging happens when we support each other when our experiences, needs, feelings, and even new ideas are different from the majority of our colleagues, and especially when we differ from those who have power over our careers. Only then will we achieve cultures of genuine belonging where people of colour don’t have to endure the daily calculus of how or if to disclose their feelings, respond to situations or feel implicitly responsible for the comfort of others over their own."

We ask all industry leaders to be intentional in their support for black talent at this time. We ask our industry to take action and hold ourselves accountable in the following 10 ways: 

Empower leaders and boards to drive representation and inclusivity by being a core part of the leadership team’s strategic priorities with clear KPIs, actions and objectives, transparently communicated. Deeply understand and monitor the data of your company and understand what goes on within it.

Senior leaders must step up, speak out and take action. All leaders need to acknowledge the escalating racism of the last few months in town halls and company wide gatherings, in order to open this conversation in their organisations. Leaders should use their company channels to share links, information, resources and black-driven research.

Enable employees to understand their own privileges (and what white privilege means) and their biases to help them become accountable allies and activists.

Call out racism whenever it is encountered. Everyone is responsible for this, from the CEO to all staff across your organisation. Implement an incident management plan or refer to your equality policy for guidance. Building trust creates solidarity in the workforce and provides a psychologically safe space to work. This can allow for issues such as micro-aggressions (subtle acts of discrimination) to be addressed.

Create safe and inclusive spaces to have open and frank conversations about racism with everyone in attendance. Use these to promote active advocacy and open dialogue for both black talent and allies.

Use existing employee resource groups, such as WPP’s Roots, Publicis Group’s Embrace or for those without networks, assemble ad-hoc forums now such as Publicis Sapient’s ‘Brave Spaces’.

‘Check the make-up of your own circle and seek out different points of view,’ as recommended by WPP U.K. Country Manager & CEO GroupM UK, Karen Blackett OBE.

Check-in with black employees - particularly if you are a leader or line manager.

Represent at every level and most importantly, on your leadership team: welcome, promote, champion, and celebrate black employees. Commit to amplifying and elevating black talent, working with black-owned businesses and supply chains.

Examine your preferred supplier’s list. Ensure your advertising isn’t funding white supremacy or racist content. 

We, the signatories of this letter, commit to taking deep, lasting action. Today, we say George Floyd’s name and stand with all black talent in our industry.

If you are an industry leader and would like to add your signature and support this open letter to our industry, email [email protected].

• Abbott Mead Vickers BDDO – Sarah Douglas, CEO
• Advertising Association – Stephen Woodford, CEO
• ACCESS:VFX – Simon Devereux, founder and director
• Adam & Eve/DDB – Mat Goff and Tammy Einav, joint CEOs
• AKQA – Ron Peterson, MD; John Bernard, general manager
• AnalogFolk – Simon Richings, ECD
• And Rising – Jonathan Trimble, CEO
• Anomaly – Camilla Harrisson, partner and CEO; Karina Wilsher, partner and global CEO
• Axicom – Kate Stevens, president
• Bartle Bogle Hegarty – Karen Martin, MD
• BCW – Rebecca Grant, CEO
• BIMA – Holly Hall, MD; Nat Gross and Tarek Nseir, co-presidents
• Bite, Creativebrief – Nicola Kemp, managing editor
• Bloom UK – Sally Keane, president
• Blue State – Samir Patel, chief innovation strategist
• Bookmark – Simon Hobbs, CEO; Adrian Farr, COO
• Brand Advance – Christopher Kenna, CEO and founder
• Brands with Values – Adrian Walcott, MD
• Buchanan UK – Richard Oldworth, executive chairman
• Campaign – Gideon Spanier, UK editor-in-chief; Claire Beale, global editor-in-chief
• Channel 4 – Alex Mahon, CEO
• Channel 4, 4Creative – Zaid Al-Qassab, CMO and inclusion amd diversity lead
• Clarion – Amanda Meyrick, CEO
• Clear – Damian Symons, CEO
• Clear Channel – Caroline Forbes, specialist partner; Richard Bon, MD, UK
• Code Computerlove – Louis Georgiou, MD
• Cognifide – Leigh Gammons, CEO
• Coley Porter Bell – Vicky Bullen, CEO
• Conscious Advertising Network – Anna Kennedy, director of comms; Harriet Kingaby, co-chair; Jerry Daykin, capability director; Jake Dubbins, co-chair, MD, Media Bounty
• Creative Equals – Ali Hanan, CEO; Stephanie Matthews, partnerships director; Lydia Amoah, learning and cross-cultural director
• Creative Mentor Network – Isabel Farchy, CEO and founder
• Creativebrief – Charlie Carpenter, CEO
• Creature – Dan Cullen-Shute, CEO and co-founder
• Critical Mass – Andrea Lennon, MD
• Curve – Lizzie Shupak, CEO
• DEFT – Ian Crocombe, founder and CEO
• Design Bridge – Hannah Carvosso, MD
• Diva – Linda Riley, CEO
• Engine Creative – Ete Davies, CEO
• Engine Group – Jim Moffat, CEO
• Essence – Tim Irwin, CEO
• Facebook – Carolyn Everson, VP, global marketing solutions
• Finecast UK - Harry Harcus, MD
• Futures Network – Laura Vipond, Visha Naul, Cristina Loaiza, Gina Hood, Nicola Davy, Therese Baggas, co-founders
• Gain Theory – Alan Bloodworth, EMEA CEO; Andy Oliver, managing partner
• Geometry – Michelle Whelan, CEO
• Goodstuff Communications – Andrew Stephens, co-founder
• Google UK – Nishma Robb, marketing director
• Gravity Road – Mark Eaves, co-founder
• Grey London – Anna Panczyk, CEO
• Grey Consulting – Leo Rayman, CEO
• Grey Europe – Eduardo Maruri, CEO
• Group M – Dominic Grainger, EMEA CEO
• GTB – Paul Confrey, president
• Gyro – Emma Rush, president
• H&K Strategies – Simon Whitehead, UK CEO
• Havas – Xavier Rees, CEO
• Hearts & Science – Garrett O’Reilly, MD
• Hogarth Worldwide – Richard Glasson, CEO; Monica Taylor, MD; Matt Kitcherside, EMEA CEO
• Huge – Alex Pym, MD; Wayne Deakin, ECD EMEA
• Interact Branding Limited – Patrick Donovan, MD
• Internet Advertising Bureau UK – Jon Mew, CEO; Sophia Haynes, director of campaigns
• IPA – Paul Bainsfair, director-general; Nigel Vaz, president
• IPG Mediabrands – Richard Morris, CEO
• Iris – Ian Millner, global CEO
• ISBA – Phil Smith, director-general; Bobi Carley, head of TV and video
• ITV – Carolyn McCall, CEO
• Kantar – Jackie Blackler, MD EMEA
• Karmarama – Ben Bilboul, CEO
• Ketchum – Jo-Ann Robertson, CEO
• Kinetic – Ali MacCullum, CEO
• Landor – Charlotte Morrison, general manager
• Leo Burnett London – Charlie Rudd, CEO
• Liz Nottingham, learning and development partner
• M/SIX - Jack Swayne, CEO
• M&C Saatchi – Sereena Abbassi, worldwide head of culture and inclusion
• M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment – Jamie Wynne-Morgan, UK CEO
• M&C Saatchi Talk – Jane Boardman, CEO
• Mando – Becky Munday, CEO
• Manning Gottlieb OMD – Natalie Bell, MD
• McCann – Sufia Parkar, regional director, diversity and engagement EMEA
• MediaCom UK – Sue Unerman, chief transformation officer; Kate Rowlinson, CEO; Satin Reid, MD
• MediaMonks London – Martin Verdult, MD
• Media For All – Naren Patel, founder; Priya Matadeen, GM, Dazed Media; Bhav Chandrani, partnerships controller, ITV; Mimi Turner, marketing and strategy consultant, Mimi Turner Associates; Liam Mullins, managing partner, the7stars
• Metro Production Group – Mary Metcalfe, MD
• Mindshare – Jem Lloyd-Williams, CEO
• Mirum – Chris Daplyn, CEO
• Monumental Marketing – Jamie Love, CEO and founder
• Mr President – Laura Jordan Bambach, co-founder
• Mullenlowe Group UK – Jeremy Hine, CEO; Siobhan Brunwin, people director
• Nabs – Diana Tickell, CEO
• News UK – Dominic Carter, group chief commercial officer
• Now – Larissa Vince, CEO
• Nudge – Gustaf Stenlund, VP of growth
• Ogilvy – Michael Frohlich, CEO; Nadja Bellan-White, executive partner, WPP team leader; Helen Matthews, chief people officer; Clare Lawson, chief customer officer; Ann Higgins, chief consulting officer
• Ogilvy Roots – Amie Snow, co-founder
• OMD Group UK – Tim Pearson, CEO; Laura Fenton, MD
• Omnicom Media Group – Dan Clays, CEO; Serhat Ekinci, MD of diverse and inclusive marketing division; Sam Phillips, chief diversity officer
• OUTtv – Marc Putman, CEO and founder; Ian van der Putten, marketing director and business development
• Outvertising – Mark Runacus, chair
• People of Culture Collective – Kevin Morosky and Nana Bempah, co-founders
• PHD UK – Veriça Djurdjevic, CEO; Lauren Ogúndèkó, head of response, board director
• Potato – Scott Ewings, CEO
• Prism – Jamie Copas, CEO
• Publicis Groupe UK – Annette King, CEO
• Publicis.Poke – Nick Farnhill, CEO
• Publicis Sapient – Nancy Rowe, head of inclusion and diversity, EMEA; Scott Criddle, group VP and UK country lead
• R/GA – Sean Lyons, global CEO
• R/GA London – Rebecca Bezzina, SVP MD
• Rabin Martin – Afua Basoah, VP; Rebecca Hoppy, president
• Raconteur – Will Brookes, MD
• Rapp UK – Chris Freeland, executive chairman
• Red Brick Road – David Miller, CEO
• Rufus Leonard – Laurence Parkes, CEO
• S4 Capital – Sir Martin Sorrell, executive chair
• Saatchi & Saatchi London – Magnus Djaba, CEO; Sarah Jenkins, MD; Sam Hawkey, COO
• Snapchat UK – Ed Couchman, GM
• Solarflare Studio – Jay Short, co-founder and client services director
• Sudler – Tara Page, MD
• Superunion – Holly Maguire, MD
• Surfboard Digital – Shamilee Ilango, founder and CEO
• TBWA\London – Sara Tate, CEO
• The Barber Shop – Dino Myers-Lamptey, founder and CEO
• The Brooklyn Brothers – Jackie Stevenson, founder and CEO; George Bryant, founder and global chief creative officer
• The Diversity Standards Collective – Rich Miles, CEO and co-founder
• The Dots – Pip Jamieson, CEO and founder; John Down, CFO and COO
• The Drum – Diane Young, CEO
• The Fawnbrake Collective – Sera Holland and Amelia Torode, co-founders
• The FQ – Shelley Zalis, CEO
• The Store WPP – David Roth, CEO
• The Unmistakables – Asad Dhunna, founder; Simone Harvey, director
• The Voice – Paulette Simpson, director
• The & Partnership – Sarah Golding, CEO and partner
• The7stars – Jenny Biggam, owner
• Thinkbox – Tess Alps, chair; Lindsey Clay, CEO
• ThisAbility – Sulaiman Khan, founder and chief purpose officer
• Threepwood – Tom Jenen, CEO
• Total Media – Guy Sellers, CEO
• Tribal – Victoria Buchanan, ECD; Jade Tomlin, creative director
• Turner Duckworth - Moira Riddell, MD
• UM UK – Rachel Forde, CEO; Michael Brown, partner, insight and cross culture
• Uncommon Creative Studio – Natalie Graeme and Nils Leonard, founders
• Unilever – Aline Santos, EVP global marketing and chief diversity and inclusion officer
• VaynerMedia – Sarah Baumann, MD
• VCCP – Julian Douglas, vice-chairman; Sonia Gilchrist, head of diversity and inclusion
• Virtue, the creative agency by Vice – Rob Newlan, CEO
• VMLY&R – Justin Pahl, CEO; Amanda Farmer, MD, UK; Claire Charruau, marketing director, UK and EMEA
• Wacl – Lisa Thomas, president
• Wavemaker – Anna Hickey, global client president
• Wavemaker UK – Paul Hutchison, CEO
• WPP – Karen Blackett, WPP UK country manager and Group M UK CEO
• WPP and Group M – Nancy Lengthorn, head of inclusion and belonging
• WPP Corporate Practice – Aisling Ryan, managing partner
• WPP Health Practice – Claire Gillis, CEO
• WPP Specialist Communications – Laurence Mellman, COO
• Wunderman Thompson – Pip Hulbert, CEO; Jo Wallace, creative director
• Xeim Advise/Oystercatchers/Econsultancy – Richard Robinson, MD
• Zone Digital – Roy Capon, CEO

(This article first appeared on CampaignLive.co.uk)