Australian Ad Leaders Double Down on Diversity: Be Inclusive or “Get Smashed and Get Left Behind”

As the United States government and global brands scale back diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, Australian production and advertising leaders are doubling down on their commitment to diversity, arguing that inclusion isn’t just a moral imperative, but a business necessity.

While some fear the ripple effects of US policy shifts could threaten local DEI efforts, industry advocate and founder of Inclusively Made, Henry Smith, said, “When America shouts and screams, we don’t need to respond.”

Phoebe Sloane, founder of The Aunties and senior copywriter at Clemenger BBDO, considers the US DEI rollbacks a step backwards that sends an “awful” signal.

Meaningful engagement with the concept of DEI has been “tainted by a system that is threatened by any attempt at equity,” she said.

“We can’t let these setbacks deter us from continuing to push for change … we’ve come too far, and too many people before us have pushed for too long to give up now.

“If we aren’t actively trying to hire and retain diverse talent, where does this leave our output as a creative industry? The same people making the same kinds of work? It will inevitably lower our industry’s standards.”

Meta and Google recently ended their sponsorship of Sydney’s Mardi Gras, when Mardi Gras organisers stated that the companies no longer met the festival’s ethical charter requirements – which prioritises partnerships with organisations that champion DEI as integral to their culture.

In the US, companies like Goldman Sachs, Walmart, and Amazon have rolled back DEI commitments following executive orders from President Donald Trump aimed at dismantling federal DEI programmes.

But Henry sees a different story unfolding in Australia.

“What Trump’s government has done, in our perspective, is a major overcorrection,” he said.

“The fallout from this is a lot of damage to people. But here in Australia, I’ve been delighted to see that a lot of corporates are actually doubling down on their DEI initiatives.”

Deborah Homewood, CEO of the Australian Disability Network, also noted that Australian organisations remain deeply committed to fostering inclusive workplaces, confirming, “The Australian organisations I’ve spoken with have no plans to reduce their DEI efforts.”

She also highlighted the untapped market of 1 million Australians with disabilities seeking employment, calling it an “unprecedented opportunity” for businesses to transform their workforce and drive innovation.

Henry also emphasised that inclusivity is not a token issue – it’s a business reality.

“The disability community’s global consumer spend is $13 trillion(USD),” he said.

“If a company is not authentically representing people in their marketing or in their front line with recruitment, people with disability are going to go and spend elsewhere.

“You either need to become inclusive, or you’re going to get smashed and get left behind.”

Jen Sharpe, founder and managing director of Think HQ, warned that the US rollbacks should still be a cause for concern.

“America’s sneeze always risks becoming Australia’s cold,” she said.

“If major studios and brands deprioritise diverse hiring and storytelling, what message does that send? And how long before we see similar pressures on funding and representation in Australia?”

Despite these concerns, Jen remains optimistic about the business case for diversity.

“Companies and organisations that look, talk, and live like the audiences they need to engage with are more successful, more profitable, and more sustainable,” she said.

“It’s not just the right thing to do – it’s the smart thing.”

Priya Addams Williams, Shift20 initiative lead, noted the importance of authentic representation isn’t only a business necessity – it’s about changing lives.

“Changing lives starts with changing how people with disability are represented in marketing,” she said at JCDecaux’s recent ‘Be Seen. Be Remembered’ launch event. “For a lot of marginalised communities, you cannot be what you cannot see.”

Shift20, led by the Dylan Alcott Foundation, aims to increase the representation of people with disability in advertising from less than 1% to 20%.

The initiative launched in 2023 with brands including ANZ, AAMI, Bonds, Kia, McDonalds, Oral-B, nib, Pantene, Uber, and Weet-Bix re-shooting key scenes in their advertising to include a person with a disability to launch the Shift 20 Initiative.

The initiative has already seen success, with brands like JCDecaux creating Braille out-of-home ads and a casting call platform that connects people with disability to opportunities in the industry.

As Priya explained, the conversion around inclusive casting seems to be improving, with casting requests for people with a disability increasing. However, actual casting remains low.

“Requests to have someone with a disability cast in an ad still remain low for a variety of reasons.

“Ultimately, we know that brands want to cast more people with disability, and we know people with disability want to be actors, so we asked ourselves, how we can facilitate more connections between the industry and the community with disability,” she said.

“Last year, we launched a world-first talent channel for people with disability, allowing people with disabilities from across the country to submit personality tapes on their own time and in their own space, both of which are key for introducing accessibility to a process where it previously may not have existed.”

The channel also features educational content from talent with a disability to ensure that it is giving aspiring talent the tools they need to succeed in the industry.

“We currently have over 65 people with a disability on the page of varying ages, ethnic backgrounds, gender identities, and disabilities, naturally highlighting the prevalence and importance of intersectionality as a consideration of representation.”

Priya noted diversity is commercially clever, citing data that shows 63% of people feel better about brands that show people with disabilities, and 48% are more likely to purchase from brands that feature people with disabilities.

At the same event, Abigail Holmes, head of client strategy and campaign solutions at JCDecaux Australia, emphasised the power of out-of-home advertising in creating cultural narratives.

“Diverse audiences don’t necessarily need to see themselves explicitly represented each time, but they do respond to authentic stories being authentically told,” she said.

Henry added, “We don’t have to be reactionary to everything.

“We need to stay focused on what’s important to Australian people and moving that forward, versus operating out of fear.”