What does Diversity mean to us?
Photo by Frederica Diamanta on Unsplash
We’re glad to be among the many agencies who are passionate about supporting Diversity in the creative industry.
In 2020, when it’s been made aware that it is needed most, Diversity & Inclusion roles have been appearing in many C-suite positions and making big dents in the quest for equality.
The agenda is the same but how each person or company defines Diversity can vary slightly. So what does Diversity mean to Ace Voices?
We represent talent in every sense of the word.
Nothing about what we do is a box ticking exercise. Our goal is a big one, and one we strive to uphold, to literally change the narrative and make it as diverse as possible. Unique talent with different points of view will provide more options in the voiceover world that will spark all kinds of creative opportunities. And our voices will reach into the hearts of others who sound like us. Each one of our talent represents a section of society that is frequently underrepresented.
Representation is a positive movement for equality that will benefit and enrich us all. And it’s even more critical to have in advertising when it’s part of our job to help brands reflect society in all our communications. And everyone knows how diverse our society is, but it’s not quite being represented in the ads we see and hear. And as mentioned in the ‘UK Advertising Needs You Hub’ (created by the Advertising Association, ISBA and IPA) article who summarise it neatly:
“If we don’t have diverse minds & opinions shaping that advertising, if we don’t draw on insights which truly explore the positive differences in our consumers, if we don’t find ways to communicate & positively represent our target audiences, then we aren’t doing our jobs.”
Diversity opens up worlds to more ways of thinking and living. None are better or worse but just simply different. We believe diversity is about being open-minded to differences and acknowledging that a reflection on society needs to reflect the whole of it like a mirror of beautiful differences and not just the mainstream beauty shot of the ‘idyllic life’.
We understand that with trade between countries and the exchange of ideas all throughout history from the Silk Road, Indian Ocean trade network to the complicated legacy of the Columbian Exchange, as a whole people, we have become more and more globalised despite our cultures and backgrounds which has made us who we are today. Most of us around the world have T-Shirts, burgers and iPhones but we’re all still very different and live different lives.
To us, Diversity is about not forgetting the good traditions we have from our cultures, being proud of the lives we live, being open, aware and respectful to others and to celebrate our differences.
We can (and probably will) write a whole other article about the differences between a cultural cross exchange and cultural appropriation but the first step is always acceptance. And we need to accept Diversity, especially in the creative sector with such a high public influence, because it has always been here and now it should have its rightful place to stay.
Ace x