Inclusively Made has brought together big Australian brands, creative agencies, and production shops for the National Inclusion Commitment event at the Boston Consulting Group’s headquarters in Sydney on Wednesday.
Inclusively Made is the inclusion certification for film, television, and advertising that ensures people with disabilities are reflected in, engage with, and thrive in global creative industries.
The event aimed to embed authentic inclusion in the global production and entertainment industries through the Inclusion Commitment pledge, which industry leaders signed. Among the attendees were Nine Entertainment, Big W, ABC, Bupa, Telstra, Thinkerbell, BMF, and M&C Saatchi.
Liana Dubois, Nine Entertainment’s CMO, represented the network, a foundation partner of Inclusively Made. In addition to Nine’s focus on stories that bring people together and its commitment to shaping culture, she said Nine “will continue to strive to represent the audiences we serve right across Australia.
“Our partnership with Inclusively Made has strategically evolved our approach to representation, ensuring we can integrate inclusive thinking and practices into our every day.”
The Inclusion Commitment pledge signifies a commitment to three key actions: the increased authentic representation of people with disabilities in marketing campaigns to promote inclusion and acceptance; the championing of inclusive practices in marketing and production to create pathways for disability inclusion; and the partnership with Inclusively Made to align efforts in advancing inclusive practices across media and production.
Ann Sherry AO, a business figure and long-term champion of inclusivity in marketing, outlined the need for more inclusive narratives in marketing practices.
“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,” she said.
“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.”
Former Paralympic medallist Paul Nunnari PSM, who is also the CEO of Inclusively Made, shared his personal journey and the progress in fostering inclusion in marketing nationwide.
He welcomed the support from major Australian companies and industry leaders, and said: “It’s humbling to see some of the country’s biggest companies such as Telstra, Big W, Bupa and Nine Entertainment, amongst many others, embracing the Inclusion Commitment.
“Their commitment demonstrates a collective effort towards fostering authentic representation and advancing inclusive practices of people with disability in media and production.”
Henry Smith, founder and chair of Inclusively Made, added: “We are incredibly proud to host and see so many great organisations taking inclusion seriously and committing to inclusive diverse marketing practices. With over two decades of experience in filmmaking and production, our journey at Inclusively Made has led us to this transformative moment and it continues to grow.”
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Top image:
Back row L-R: Margie Reid, CEO – Thinkerbell, Naomi Driver, general manager marketing – Bupa, Henry Smith, founder and chair – Inclusively Made, and Justin Ricketts, CEO – Hogarth Australia
Front row L-R: Ann Sherry AO, Paul Nunnari PSM, CEO – Inclusively Made, Emma Watkins, ambassador – Inclusively Made, and Vanessa Rowed, Marketing Director – Big W