Journalism has long been a platform that advocates for those who are marginalised or don’t have a voice in society. Both editorially and commercially, newspapers provide an opportunity to reflect, champion, and inspire.

Diversity is no longer just a buzzword. Brands and advertisers alike are putting diversity and inclusion front and centre. The business case is there: In a McKinsey report, Delivering Through Diversity, findings show executive teams with a higher proportion of gender diversity were 21% more likely to outperform on profitability and those with a more ethnic/culturally diverse executive team were 33% more likely.

As Pride celebrations across the globe come to an end, here’s a look at how brands are using print advertising to communicate their commitment and support of diversity and inclusion.

Levis

The United Kingdom branch of the iconic clothing company kicked off Pride month by teaming up with Queer Britain, a charity that aims to establish the first national LGBTQ+ museum to give underrepresented communities space for their stories to be told. To bring this vision to life, the duo launched a new exhibition exploring the lives of people within the LGBTQ+ community in London. This is the first part of a three-year partnership aimed at making the exhibition permanent. Take a look inside Levis’ Pride gallery.

British Telecom (BT)

Women’s football in the United Kingdom has never received the coverage or attention to rival that of their male counterparts, but this year saw a big shift. Brands, celebrities like David Beckham, and publications got behind England’s female football team, the Lionesses, and put women’s football (and sport) on the map. Viewing figures alone smashed records.

BT announced its partnership with the Lionesses. Ahead of the semi-finals against the United States, BT covered the Metro newspaper with an emotive ad reading “Good luck Lionesses, we’re behind you.” The ad reminded daily commuters of the team’s success and perfectly captured the country’s support.

The Telegraph recently announced its commitment to covering women’s sport through its initiative Telegraph Women's Sport (TWC). TWC launched with a powerful manifesto outlining its aims. Find out more about the publication’s vision for women’s sport.

TU

Bikini season is the most dreaded time of the year for many women across the globe. The clothing line from one of the United Kingdom’s biggest supermarket chains, Sainsbury’s, launched a campaign celebrating diverse women with all shapes and sizes titled “Summer of Love.” The supermarket’s ads covered The Sun’s fashion magazine supplement, Fabulous, at the start of the summer. It has been widely praised across the country for promoting varied images of summer bodies in a space that is quite often monopolised by slender looking models.

Brands standing out and standing up for something greater than their business and industry is nothing new. Find out more about brands promoting the greater good and communicating about a higher brand purpose in print advertising here.

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