Changing Faces urges advertisers to rethink representation

More than half (54%) of people with a visible difference say that brands regularly ignore them, while 64% believe that adverts don’t represent people with visible differences.

Meanwhile, over half of young people with a visible difference said they would spend their money on a brand that featured someone with a visible difference in their adverts.

For financial institutions, this means that their marketing teams should ensure that people with visible differences are represented in their promotional and marketing materials.

“It’s time for brands, agencies and casting businesses to come together and ensure that people with a visible difference are more prominent in the media,

“There are too many prejudices and assumptions about people who have scars, marks or conditions that make them look different, including that they should hide their difference or be ashamed of it,” said Changing Faces CEO, Heather Blake.

Through their ‘A Face for Radio,” campaign, ambassadors for the brand showcase that people with a visible difference have a face for anything and everything they want.

With a greater inclusivity through marketers’ choices of representation, the industry could contribute to reducing negative statistics like the 81.3% of people with a visible difference experiencing staring, comments or unpleasantness from a stranger.