Unilever has teamed up with Pop Idol creator Simon Fuller, to eradicate stereotypes from the advertising world.
The ‘Unstereotype’ initiative, a three-year, multi-million-dollar deal between Unilever’s Rexona brand and XIX Entertainment, will see the creation of a new pop group, Now United, comprised of 14 artists from 14 countries including Brazil, China, Germany, India, Philippines, Senegal, US and UK.
Positive Messages
The campaign will see the group co-create content across multiple media channels to spread ‘positive, progressive messages around equality and tolerance and [to] inspire young people that they can proudly be who they are, wherever they are,’ the company said.
“Through our ongoing advertising assessment against Unstereotype criteria, we already know that progressive advertising creates 25% more branded impact,” said Aline Santos, Unilever executive vice president global marketing and head of diversity and inclusion.
“New data now tells us that progressive ads are also 16% more relevant, 21% more credible and can drive purchase intent by 18%.
"The economic case is just as tangible as the social case for change, which is why we are expanding the Unstereotype initiative to drive unstereotypical content at scale through new partnerships and mainstream content.”
Fuller, who has brought the Pop Idol sensation around the world, as well as previously managing The Spice Girls and S Club 7, said that the creation of Now United represents a willingness to “embrace this pioneering spirit, defining new ways to interact with entertainment, celebrating diversity and inclusion with a powerful message of unity and positivity.”
Tackling Stereotypes
Unilever research has found that more needs to be done to tackle harmful stereotypes around gender, race, sexuality and more. For example, minorities remain underrepresented in film leads (13.9%) and female directors are widely overlooked (6.9%) for film and television content.
‘Unilever believes progressive collaborations between brands and content creators will therefore be key to meeting audience’s expectations,’ the company said.
© 2018 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
