Agency representative body the Institute of Advertising Practitioners in Ireland (IAPI) has rolled out a new awareness campaign to promote greater diversity in Irish advertising. The messages are the culmination of an initiative by member agencies to support BelongTo and Stand Up week against LGBTI+ bullying in second level schools.
Help was given across all disciplines: planning, account management, creative, digital, social, media and production. IAPI created a mini agency, with creative director Damian Hanley of In the Company of Huskies, project director Kieran O’Donovan of Chemistry and a steering committee of IAPI board members Ray Sheerin and Charley Stoney.
The project led to a first-of-its-kind agency collaboration among 16 IAPI members, with people giving their time free of charge. Ray Sheerin says adland’s diverse workforce has been of great benefit which was a reason why IAPI adopted diversity as a key strategic goal and why BeLonG To is such a good fit for the first ‘Ireland before Agency’ project.
Half of all LGBTI+ kids in Ireland are bullied, while 56 per cent of them self-harm and one in three attempt suicide – three times the ‘youth’ number. A shocking 90 per cent struggle with their mental health. The initiative, probably the biggest ever cross-agency, client and production ever in our industry, is aiming to draw attention to bullying of LGBTI+ second level students and to encourage everyone to declare their support for LGBTI+ people.
The project is backed by 2fm as media partner, headed by Dan Healy and Michael Cahill.
2fm will provide access to their radio, digital and social media, giving them a means of reaching a difficult audience for radio to target. IAPI would like to thank everyone for their participation and to encourage everyone in adland to mark the last day of Stand Up Awareness week, next Friday, by doing something to support their LGBTI+ friends.
IAPI is asking all agencies to get behind this initiative over the coming days and plan a show of support next Friday. Why not encourage all staff to do as we are asking secondary school students to do and wear colours to make up the rainbow flag? Sheerin said the louder agencies shout, the more coverage this important initiative should get.
The IAPI agency team who gave up their time so generously, and to agency management for supporting them: Rafael Ferla (JWT Folk), Tiffany Mongey (Javelin), Kate Fulham (Bonfire), Clare O’Hanlon (Publicis), Jane Casey (Pluto), Mark Hughes (Carat), Dylan Newe (TBWA), Udi Ovadia (Boys and Girls), Isabel Harvey (BBDO), Manuel Yoacham (Starcom), Will Egan (Ogilvy), Rachel Hattaway (Core), Hazel Tracey (Rothco) and Aine O’Boyle (Havas).
Thanks to the wider industry for giving their time and services completely pro bono.
Production: Pull the Trigger. Natasha Waugh (Director), Max Brady, Aoife O’Neill, Grainne Tiernan (Producers), plus all actors, crew and casting agents, particularly Cast Annette. Sound and radio recording: Raygun. Post-production: ScreenScene. Location: Lynne Tracey. Photography: Aidan Oliver / Neil McDougald. Behind the Scenes Filming: Matthieu Chardon (Publicis) Film and Radio Voiceover: Sarah Jane Seymour at Voicebank.
Advertisers who donated a radio spot on 2FM: McDonald’s (Mediaworks), Lidl (Mediaworks), Maxol (Mediaworks), Flogas (Mediaworks), An Post (Starcom), CBRE (Mediaworks), Easytrip (Mediaworks), USIT Travel (Mediaworks), Centra (Starcom), SuperValu (Starcom), Ulster Bank (Boys & Girls/Spark Foundry), Audi (Chemistry/PHD), Windsor Motors (Chemistry/Spark Foundry), Irish Examiner (Chemistry/OMD), Vodafone (OMD), Bank of Ireland (Carat), Nissan (Huskies/Spark Foundry), Aer Lingus (Carat), Aer Lingus (Carat) Core, Dentsu Aegis.
Video Links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1ZLLgIdBBs
