Inclusively Made

Simon Lee represented The Hallway and other leading brands and retailers taking a pledge to commit to a more inclusive and representative marketing landscape in Australia.

At a landmark National Inclusion Commitment event led by Inclusively Made, brands including Woolworths Group, Big W, ABC, Bupa and Telstra, and creative agencies and production firms met to  take a pledge to increase and promote equity, dignity and inclusive best practice outcomes in authentic representation of people with disability through their advertising. 

The pledge signifies a commitment to three key actions: 

• Increasing authentic representation of people with disabilities in marketing campaigns to promote inclusion and acceptance.

• Championing inclusive practices in marketing and production to create pathways for disability inclusion.

• And partnering with Inclusively Made to align efforts in advancing inclusive practices across media and production.

Inclusively Made was founded by pioneers of inclusive film production, Henry Smith and Genevieve Clay-Smith, combining more than 20 years of filmmaking and commercial production experience, with the vision to see inclusion become business as usual in the global production and entertainment industries.

Founder and Chair of Inclusively Made, Henry Smith, said; “We are incredibly proud to host and see so many great organisations taking inclusion seriously and committing to inclusive diverse marketing practices.”

In Australia, almost 20 percent of the population live with disability. Ann Sherry AO, an influential business figure and long-term champion of inclusivity in marketing says there is an urgent need for more representation.

“In a world where one in five people live with a disability, there is a severe underrepresentation of writers and actors with disability in advertising and marketing-related content, and sometimes entirely non-existent,” comments Sherry.

“Today we witnessed leading Australian companies address that urgent need, by signing the Inclusion Commitment, which is the first step in championing and encouraging inclusive practices by brands and agency leaders in their marketing communications”.

Companies can take the pledge here.