Presented in partnership with Mamba Online and The Other Foundation, the awards are spearheaded by WPP Unite, the company’s global LGBTQIA+ community, championing inclusion and belonging across the network and beyond.
The awards recognised outstanding work across various categories, including:
Beyond celebrating creative excellence, the awards provided valuable insights into the current landscape of LGBTQIA+ representation in advertising and communications in South Africa.
With entries judged on relevance, authenticity, empowerment and effectiveness in breaking stereotypes, a key takeaway was the need for greater volume and depth of inclusion.
“The limited number of LGBTQIA+ focused campaigns submitted underscores the need for agencies and clients to do more,” says Dono White, strategy director at VML South Africa and WPP Unite member.
“We must challenge ourselves to embed authentic representation into our creative work consistently, not just during dedicated periods.”
The judging panel, comprising industry leaders and LGBTQIA+ advocates, identified key areas for improvement, including greater diversity at the client level and shifting perspectives to ensure LGBTQIA+ narratives are told from within the community.
Reinforcing the importance of community voice, over 5,000 members of the LGBTQIA+ community participated in judging through Mamba Online, providing direct feedback on the campaigns.
Tebogo Skwambane, country manager of WPP in South Africa highlights the business case for authentic inclusion.
“WPP’s research shows that diverse and inclusive marketing resonates more powerfully with audiences,” says Skwambane.
“The Unite South Africa Awards demonstrate WPP’s commitment to, not only reflecting the diversity within the country but also driving business results for our clients.
“We believe that authentic LGBTQIA+ representation is not just a social imperative, but also a strategic commercial advantage in today’s marketplace for brands that want to cut through and reach traditionally under-served audiences,” adds Skwambane.
To guide future efforts, WPP Unite SA unveiled the “Do More” strategy at the award ceremony, a 10-point guide for creating impactful LGBTQIA+ affirming work.
The strategy emphasises authentic representation, deeper storytelling, community involvement and bold, disruptive content.
“The ‘Do More’ strategy is a call to action for our industry. By embracing these principles, we can move beyond tokenistic gestures and create meaningful change, building a more inclusive and representative creative landscape in South Africa,” says White.
