Unpacking Unilever's Pledge to Include Disabled Creators

More than half (62%) of content creators from intersectional disabled communities are interested in working in advertising, according to Unilever. However, 90% of those working behind the camera to bring creative to life say industry attitudes and preconceptions impact just how included they feel on production sets. A further 73% feel left out and left behind entirely. To address this, Unilever has launched the Inclusive Set Commitment, a pledge that mandates all productions over $106,000 (100,000 euros) will include at least one person with a disability as part of the production crew. It’s also open sourcing an Inclusive Production Toolkit, which was published with input from disabled creators. The guide outlines best practices to support people with disabilities on set, and any creative or production agency can access this resource. For Marketers to Target Disabled Audiences, They Must First Look Within Their Own Companies Aline Santos, chief brand officer and chief equity, diversity and inclusion at Unilever, told Adweek: “We want to hold a mirror up to society in the way we represent people in front of the camera, but also behind it,” adding that though the business had made progress doing so when it came to representing women, it was lagging when it came to progress on disability. Santos was galvanized to act after seeing talented disabled influencers and creators popping up on her own social media feeds. “I was watching [these videos] thinking: ‘Why are they not in our production houses? Why are they not on our sets? Why are they not helping us co-create phenomenal content?'” The two-pillar program designed to counteract this, Believe in Talent, marks the newest phase of Unilever’s ongoing Unstereotype Alliance initiative that aims to eradicate harmful stereotypes in advertising and media. When it debuted in 2016, the scheme started small with changes to the way women were portrayed in ads, ditching domestic tropes. However, in 2021 its own research found close to 50% of people from marginalized groups—including Black, Hispanic, Asian and LGBTQ+ individuals, as well as people with disabilities—felt they had been stereotyped in some way through advertising. So, Unilever decided to go even further. In the same year, it made a promise to introduce “real structural changes” to the entire marketing process, designed to provoke and integrate more diverse and inclusive thinking across its 400-strong brand roster—from new product development to advertising production. A year and a half in the making, Believe in Talent is part of this commitment. But what does it actually mean for disabled creators and marketers? How Google’s Head of Brand Accessibility Drives Change for the Disabled Community by Showing Up A more inclusive production process According to disability equality charity Scope, in the U.K. alone 16 million people are disabled, equating to 23% of working age adults. However, Unilever recently found that people with disabilities only represent 8.3% of onscreen roles and 6% offscreen. Dana Cadden, Unilever’s global head of advertising production, said Believe in Talent has a practical role to play in closing this gap: “Whilst we still have much to learn, if more brands can make their production sets more inclusive, they will not only create more opportunities for persons with disabilities but also benefit immensely from the creativity they will bring to our industry.” Unilever’s practical guidance for production crews is intended as a starting point for the industry. “The fight against inequality is so huge; we should share whatever knowledge we have. That’s why we’ve open sourced this, so the industry can share in these practical learnings,” explained Santos. The handbook was developed in collaboration with Inclusively Made, a collective founded by Bus Stop Films and Taste Creative that creates employment opportunities for people living with disability. It covers everything from authentic and nontraditional casting to on-set accessibility, assistance animals and the suggestion of quiet areas for people who experience sensory issues. It also features practical steps to take during ideation, preproduction and postproduction, advising agencies and brands to ensure disabled people are represented in the writers room and suggesting they enlist an accessibility coordinator on-set. The key, said Santos, is there’s no one-size-fits-all approach: “What’s key is having a proper conversation with the creator involved and creating an effective plan. It must be done in an authentic way, while being respectful to the individual.” WPP is among the agency partners adopting the Inclusive Set Commitment on Unilever productions and will be sharing the blueprint across its network. Lego Unveils Its First Disabled Minifigure in a Good Week for Inclusivity An untapped talent pool Advocate and entrepreneur Keely Cat-Wells is all too familiar with the barriers disabled people face in the media and entertainment industries. In 2017, the then-actress flew from England to Los Angeles to audition for a film role, only to be denied the opportunity because of her ileostomy bag. Soon after, she founded her own full-service Hollywood talent agency C Talent, which only represents actors and Hollywood professionals with disabilities. In 2022, creator commerce business Whalar snapped up the Hollywood shop, marking a huge investment in the disabled creator economy. She told Adweek she was buoyed by Unilever’s announcement, which she hopes will “break down barriers," adding that while building C Talent, with the drive to increase disability representation, her team saw a huge demand for disabled talent but "gaps in confidence and knowledge." “I hope that this is a step forward to closing those gaps,” Cat-Wells added. "There should be an immense excitement around finding and unlocking an untapped talent pool of professionals and creating more accessible spaces for all.” She said: “I look forward to seeing how this initiative forwards the progress and encourages the industry to examine practices, challenge attitudes and create more opportunities for underrepresented talent." What Marketers Are Missing as They Create Disability-Focused Products The World Health Organization estimates that about 1.2 billion people, or 15% of the world’s population, are disabled. However, depictions of the disabled community are few and far between in advertising, media and entertainment—and are often stereotypical when they do occur. Recent research further illuminates this gap: In the U.S., 26% of Americans are disabled, but they are seen in only 1% of primetime TV ads, according to Nielsen’s 2021 Ad Intel. "Content creators have created this wonderfully inclusive space on social media and are showing us that it’s possible to be authentic and break stereotypes," said Santos. "Advertising stands to benefit from harnessing this skilled talent." For Unilever, the proof is in the results with "unstereotypical, progressive advertising" delivering 92% better brand power, 94% better brand difference, 67% better brand persuasion and 76% better enjoyment of ads for the Hellmann's maker, per Santos.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Unpacking Unilever's Pledge to Encourage Disabled Creators Into the Ad Industry

What the CPG's Believe in Talent program really means for creators, brands and agencies

Rebecca Stewart

About

Subscriptions

Events

Publications

WORK SMARTER - LEARN, GROW AND BE INSPIRED.

Subscribe today!

Rebecca Stewart