Diversity became an imperative – and then the world pinged back. Unstereotype Alliance Australia, convened by UN Women, is urging the advertising, media and marketing industry to embed inclusive thinking at the start of every campaign by asking one powerful question, Who’s Missing?
The inaugural national campaign was created by VML and Mindshare, part of the WPP network, a founding organisation of Unstereotype Alliance Australia. The campaign is backed by both Unstereotype Alliance’s Inclusion = Income report, proving unequivocally that inclusive advertising drives stronger brand outcomes, and its national research revealing that many Australians still feel absent or stereotyped in media.
The launch at MFA Ex Sydney followed a Melbourne launch early in the month. It included a mainstage presentation featuring Sam Turley, invention lead, Mindshare, and a lived-experience moment from Sara Shams, founder of Ethnobility. Drawing on her own experiences of exclusion working in and alongside the industry, Sara grounded the campaign in reality, reminding attendees why representation must be intentional and inclusive from the very start.
The session concluded with a call to action for the industry to adopt the campaign and use the Who’s Missing? Toolkit. Unstereotype Alliance Australia invites industry colleagues to:
- Adopt the Who’s Missing? question in creative, media and strategy briefs,
- Share posters and resources across offices and teams (using the Who’s Missing? Toolkit)
- Amplify the message through LinkedIn using #WhosMissing, and
- Join the Unstereotype Alliance to be part of the collective driving change.
Sam Turley, invention lead, Mindshare, commented, “The greatest movements didn’t start with answers, they started with questions. Who’s Missing? Is designed to be that question for our industry. It gives every person, no matter their role, permission to ask it at any stage of any process ultimately driving more inclusive, authentic work.”
Sarah Bailey, managing director, VML, stated, “In creating the visual identity for W ho’s Missing? our designer Mel Radman and her team focused on simplicity and scalability – making sure the creative was easy for members to adopt, use, and share across the industry. We’re proud to have played a role in supporting this important campaign, and to help give the question a clear and memorable presence.”
Rose Herceg, president, WPP Australia & New Zealand, added, “As a founding member of the Unstereotype Alliance, we see Who’s Missing? as a simple but powerful tool to ensure we’re delivering work that reflects the real Australia and that makes good business sense.”
Annie Konieczny, Lead, Unstereotype Alliance Australia (UN Women), commented, “This campaign is intentionally lo-fi and collaborative, because inclusion shouldn’t be complex or resource heavy. Instead, it should be embedded in the way we work every day. We’re calling on every member of our industry to adopt this question, share it widely, and be part of the solution.”
