P&O Cruises: 'Holiday Like Never Before'

Being up to date with the latest dialogue about Britishness is vital for "Britain's favourite cruise line". The last couple of years has seen a lot of conversations around the British Empire, the links between exploration and exploitation and – contrary to what many of us learnt in school – the acknowledgement that colonialism has far reaching negative ramifications to this day. Against this backdrop, the 1950s classic "Beyond the Sea" soundtrack could be deemed a little too reminiscent of colonial exploration.

That said, the execution successfully includes people from different cultural backgrounds and – crucially – has very clearly steered away from only having people from under-represented communities in serving roles. This is an important point: representation is more than skin-deep, and we need to look beyond a cast of diverse talent to the roles they are given and the storylines they are expected to bring to life to ensure stereotypes aren’t being inadvertently reinforced.

Notable, though, is the lack of representation of the disabled community. We regularly invite our clients to consider the brand’s "right to play" – does the brand have a credible reason to include elements such as the particular storyline or a specific community? Given P&O Cruises' ships cater for accessibility needs, it feels like a missed opportunity that there is no representation of visible disability.

Kuoni: 'Travel Worth Talking About'

This execution is beautifully understated in its inclusion of different communities. The inclusion of what looks like a same sex couple 14 seconds in (almost a case of ‘if you know, you know’) is a credible and authentic way to move beyond surface representation in a short period of time.

The characteristics included (race, ethnicity and sexuality) are not central to the storyline but woven in sensitively without unnecessary fanfare. Again, notable in absence is the disability community - although given only 4% of people represented in ads are disabled (according to research from Channel 4), it’s - sadly - not surprising. 

Center Parcs: 'Cherish Every Moment'

Set to All Saints’ ‘Black Coffee’, this family-focused film feels really fresh. That it opens on two Black children ziplining is - for me as an Indian mother of three children - a clear signal that the brand is open and welcoming to all.

Even better might have been the inclusion of non-traditional family structures - specifically same-sex parents - to amplify the family message in a credible way that is relevant to such a large section of society. Surprisingly, given the rise in UK multi-generational households - approximately 1.8m according to the Cambridge Centre for Housing and Planning Research - there is no inclusion of multi-generational families.

Heathrow Airport: 'Arrival'

Conversely, Heathrow Airport’s Festive Travel stories features a multi-generational family front and centre. Other executions ‘Love’ and ‘Keepsake’ focused on a couple and a father-daughter relationship respectively. The beauty to these is the single-story, meaning the narrative can have the depth and nuance that so many mass-appeal brands struggle with. 

By focusing on a singular narrative, the opportunity opens up for credible and authentic representation - enabling various audiences to feel ‘seen’ through the combination of human truths and the cast chosen to bring those to life. Not all brands can afford to create multiple executions, but these particular films highlight the benefits of having the time and budget to plan and create deeper stories. 

Expedia: 'Sonia and Bill'

I thought it right to include an example of an advert that considers disability inclusion. Expedia’s ad succeeds in representation without feeling tokenistic, with the storyline itself not focusing on the disability per se, but the need for a dog-friendly holiday.

I would like to hope that the team behind it adopted the disability community's ethos of 'nothing about us, without us' - meaning that they worked equitably with people with lived experience who could inform and shape the campaign, to ensure accuracy and avoid performativity.