The Only One In The Room collective has revealed 10 finalists for the inaugural Destroy this Brief initiative, which launched in 2022 to tackle the industry’s prevalent diversity and inclusion challenges.
The brief asked participants to find ways to open the industry up to, and attract, diverse talent.
108 high-calibre entries from across both the industry and globe have thrilled the collective, with the 10 finalist ideas consisting of talent from agencies including The Hallway, Hero, Ogilvy, BMF, Special, and Cocogun:
- A Bechdel Test for Advertiser – Anna Bollinger
- Ad School Module – Priya Addams Williams
- Another Dave Another Dollar – Jessica Thompson
- Creative Republic – Letizia Bozzolini
- *Joint Shortlist* Extending Adland – Priya Addams Williams
- *Joint Shortlist* Location Meets Vocation– Jimmy Williams and Elena Macdonald
- Mad Things – Anneliese Sullivan and Melle Branson
- Parental Ad-visors – Leila Cranswick and David Roberts
- Refugee Pencil – Carl Robertson and Blake Arthur
- White Dad Adoption Drive – Rees Steel
The 10 entries will progress to the second round of judging, where a top global industry jury will cut them down to a shortlist of five, that will be announced the week commencing February 6. The jury comprises of:
- Cindy Gallop, Founder & CEO MakeLoveNotPorn and diversity advocate
- Jonathan Mildenhall, Former Airbnb & Coke CMO, Founder TwentyFirstCenturyBrand
- Terry Savage, The Marketing Academy & London International Awards Global Chair
- Greg Hahn, CCO and Co-Founder of Mischief USA
- Sunita Gloster, Non-Executive Director & Advisor at Gloster Advisory, B&T Industry Champion of Change 2022
- Faycal Benabdellaziz, Head of Group Brand at NAB
The five shortlisted entrants will then be invited to present their ideas live to the jury.
Avish Gordhan, co-founder and jury chair of Only One In The Room and chief creative officer at dentsu Creative, stated, “We’ve been blown away by the quality and quantity of submissions we received for the inaugural #DestroyThisBrief. Thank you to everyone who took the time to put their minds to this challenge. The energy, creativity, and enthusiasm we’ve seen on this brief is exactly what is needed to make a lasting and meaningful difference to diversity and inclusion in the industry.”
#OnlyOneInTheRoom was founded with the singular goal of creating a more culturally diverse and inclusive advertising industry. It was begun because there is is a disconnect between who we are and who we advertise to, especially in Australia. The Only One In The Room collective noted, “Australia is the most diverse country in the world. There are over 300 languages spoken here. 30% of the population was born overseas. 20% of people speak a different language at home. In comparison, our industry is monochromatic. It does not reflect the rich tapestry of cultures and races that make up the fabric of Australia.”
For more information, go to www.onlyoneintheroom.co/dtb
