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• Brands challenged to develop adverts featuring authentic portrayals of Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities
• Winner will receive advertising space on the TfL network

London — City Hall and Transport for London (TfL) have today joined forces to launch an innovative competition that challenges brands to make their advertising more representative of the capital.

This year’s competition is designed to combat the sometimes superficial representation of people of colour in advertising by inviting brands to create campaigns that authentically reflect London’s Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. It follows the success of last year’s competition aimed at better representing the capital’s women in advertising, a press release form TFL stated.

London is one of the most diverse cities in the world, with 40 per cent of its population identifying as Black, Asian or minority ethnic. However, while there has been improvement in the visibility of people from varying ethnic backgrounds in adverts, representation has too often been stereotypical, one-dimensional or tokenistic.

Ethnic minority representation in advertising has increased from 12 per cent to 25 per cent between 2015 and 2018, but more than 60 per cent of adverts still feature only or majority white people[1]. Studies have repeatedly shown that where representation exists, communities do not always feel those portrayals are relatable or realistic. In 2018, 34 per cent of Black people said they felt they were inaccurately portrayed in advertising[2].

This year’s contest challenges brands and advertising agencies to develop adverts that market their product while offering nuanced and authentic portrayals of people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.

The winning campaign will receive £500,000-worth of advertising space across the TfL network – one of the most valuable advertising estates in the UK. As with last year, the advertising space has been provided by TfL, working with its advertising partners, JCDecaux UK and Global. The winner and up to two runners-up will be announced in February 2020.

Deputy Mayor of London for Social Integration, Social Mobility and Community Engagement, Debbie Weekes-Bernard said: “Advertising is a powerful force but too often the images we are presented with provide very limited impressions of the people they portray.

“This competition provides a fantastic opportunity for brands to reject generic depictions of minority communities and tell stories that resonate with Londoners who currently may not feel properly represented.

“I hope it sparks further debate around diversity and representation in the sector and challenges advertisers to continue to make their industry truly inclusive.”

Chris Macleod, Director of Customer and Revenue, Transport for London said: “We are proud to serve one of the most diverse cities in the world and it is only right that the advertising displayed on our estate reflects that.

“We are excited to be running the competition again with the Mayor of London, encouraging brands and advertisers to use their creativity to produce campaigns that better represent people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities.

“It was heartening to see how brands embraced the challenge last year and I look forward to seeing how they will do so again.”

Selma Nicholls, Founder, Looks Like Me said: “It is critical that we continue to represent society fairly, so people from all backgrounds see advertising content that authentically represents them.

“It’s time to celebrate our brilliant diverse city, create inclusive content that resonates with our audiences, so people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities can proudly say this looks like me.”

Nick Collard, Chief Customer & Digital Officer, Holland and Barrett said: “After reading the ‘The Women We See’ research and discovering that Londoners feel the women they see in advertising are not truly representative of the diversity of the city, we instantly knew that as a leading high-street retailer we wanted to try and help change this.

“We were delighted that the judges recognised the positive and empowering messaging of our Me.No.Pause Campaign and winning the competition provided us with prominent advertising space to break the taboos around menopause and convey an important message to audiences across the network.”

Liz Day, Parenting Consultant, Mothercare said:“We’re immensely proud of our Body Proud Mums campaign; a series of honest photos showcasing the diverse reality of the post-birth body.

“We wanted to help mothers feel more positively about their bodies by combating unrealistic ideals and societal pressures. The campaign had an overwhelmingly amazing response, reassuring many mums that every body is beautiful, unique and worth celebrating.

“We look forward to seeing what this year’s competition brings in terms of ground-breaking campaigns that will help shine a light on and improve ethnic diversity in advertising”

Claire Beale, Global Editor-In-Chief, Campaign said:“Advertising has a tremendous power to shape society and culture.

“With that power comes responsibility and hopefully this competition will encourage the ad industry to properly up its game when it comes to the authentic portrayal of Black, Asian and minority ethnic people in its work.”

PTI, London — London Mayor Sadiq Khan has condemned plans to hold an anti-India march here on the Kashmir issue on Diwali next Sunday, saying it would deepen divisions in the UK capital and called on the organisers and prospective participants to cancel the protest rally.

According to Met Police details on the permissions sought for the proposed march, an estimated 5,000-10,000 protesters plan to commence their march from Richmond Terrace near Downing Street and converge outside the Indian High Commission in London.

In response to a letter by Indian-origin London Assembly member Navin Shah, Mayor Khan said, “I absolutely condemn the plans for a protest marchto take place on the auspicious day of Diwali, in the vicinity of the Indian High Commission in London.”

“This march will only deepen divisions at a time when Londoners need to come together. That is why I am calling on those organising the march and all those considering taking part in it to think again and cancel their plans,” said the Pakistan-origin London Mayor in the letter dated October 18.

He said that his City Hall office would be working with Scotland Yard to ensure a “robust” policing plan was in place for such a march.

In response to Shah’s request to consider seeking permission to ban the protest due to public disorder fears, he added: “As you know, the power to ban marches of this nature lies solely with the Home Secretary, not with me as the Mayor of London. I am copying this letter to both the Home Secretary, Priti Patel, and the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Cressida Dick, so they can clearly see the extent of my concerns about this march.

Shah, in his letter, recalled the violent clashes outside the Indian mission on August 15 between diaspora groups marking Independence Day and British Pakistani and separatist groups.

“I understand why many British Indians are so deeply concerned. Many have felt deeply threatened and worried since the previous protests outside the Indian High Commission. I can assure all Londoners that anyone who acts unlawfully will be accountable to the police,” Khan responded.

The so-called President of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, Sardar Masood Khan, and PoK “Prime Minister” Raja Muhammad Farooq Haider Khan are expected to participate in the march dubbed the “Free Kashmir” rally.

The latest letter exchange over the issue of Kashmir in the UK comes as Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn issued his response to another letter issued on behalf of over 100 British Indian organisations, condemning the party’s stance on Jammu and Kashmir in the wake of the Indian government’s decision to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

He repeated his previous acknowledgement that some of the language used in an emergency motion passed by Opposition party last month could be “misinterpreted or lead to misunderstandings about Labour policy, both in India and among the Indian diaspora”. But he stood by the party’s view that it remains “gravely concerned at the ongoing human rights crisis in Kashmir”.

The British Indian outfits, who had called on him to reconsider the damaging motion calling for international intervention in Kashmir, reacted with anger to the “hugely disappointing response” and said it showed that the party continued to disrespect British Indians and democratic India.

“It’s obvious that the Labour Party are either oblivious or just could not give a damn about the concerns of our community and the damage being done to UK-India relations,” said Manoj Ladwa, a UK-based media executive and among the many diaspora figures raising concerns over the Labour Party’s perceived anti-India stance.

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PTI , LONDON : Over 100 British-Indian professional and community organisations on Monday wrote to the UK Opposition Leader, Jeremy Corbyn, to condemn the Labour Party’s stance on Kashmir in the wake of the Indian government revoking the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Labour Party on September 25 passed an emergency motion on Kashmir calling for party leader Corbyn to seek international observers to “enter” the region and demand the right of self-determination for its people, drawing criticism from the Indian diaspora representatives who described it as “ill conceived” and “misinformed”.

A cross-section of British-Indian bodies, including the Indian Professionals Forum (IPF), Indian National Students Association (INSA), Hindu Council UK as well as temple bodies and community representatives, added their name to a joint letter which accuses Corbyn of bringing an India-Pakistan bilateral affair into the domestic politics of the UK by adopting a “divisive” emergency motion that calls for international intervention in the region.

British Indian Orgs,write to UK Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn;state 'express dismay that Her Majesty's Opposition has abandoned long-standing cross-party position on Kashmir as strictly bilateral matter b/w India-Pakistan,& in doing so,sown seeds of community disharmony in UK pic.twitter.com/pKxoNLkxS7

— ANI (@ANI) October 14, 2019

“We are writing collectively, as British-Indian community organisations, to express our deep dismay that Her Majesty’s Opposition has abandoned a long-standing cross-party position on Kashmir as a strictly bilateral matter between India and Pakistan, and in doing so, sown the seeds of community disharmony in the United Kingdom,” the letter notes.

“The emergency motion passed at the recent Labour Party Conference is not acceptable to us as it seeks to interfere in the internal matters of, and between, third countries and is drafted in a one-sided and divisive manner…We are also hugely concerned about the wider attempts to bring the Kashmir issue into the domestic politics of the United Kingdom, which has serious ramifications for community harmony,” it says.

Making a reference to the clashes outside the Indian High Commission in London on August 15 between Indian diaspora groups marking Indian Independence Day and members of Pakistani and separatist outfits, the letter warns against the politics of the sub-continent spilling over to a Brexit-hit UK to cause further divisions. It further declares that British-Indian organisations are holding consultations to reconsider their “level and nature of engagement” with Labour going forward.

“We are particularly dismayed by the virulent reaction by the Labour Party to the removal of an outdated, temporary provision that was hindering development of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir,” the letter adds, in reference to India’s abrogation of Article 370.

“This is huge and unprecedented. I cannot recall ever so many British Indian organisations writing in protest to a leader of a political party,” said Manoj Ladwa, CEO of UK-based media house India Inc and former Chair of Labour’s Indian Community Engagement Forum, who called for an urgent “course correction” in order to prevent the Labour Party losing its diaspora support base.

“There are over 1.5 million people of Indian origin in the UK, who like me have traditionally voted Labour. If Jeremy Corbyn doesn’t think he has a problem, then he certainly has a serious problem,” added the BJP supporter, as he warned that Labour’s perceived anti-India stance could spiral beyond its ongoing troubles with allegations of antisemitism within the party.

The letter follows weeks of face off between the UK’s Opposition and diaspora groups after the Labour Party passed what the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) branded an “uninformed and unfounded” motion last month. The resolution, tabled by Pakistani-origin Labour MPs, called for international intervention in Kashmir and added: “Accept that Kashmir is a disputed territory and the people of Kashmir should be given the right of self-determination in accordance with UN resolutions.” Corbyn has since conceded that the language used had the scope of being misinterpreted, but has stood by the emergency motion.

“The emergency motion on Kashmir came through as part of the democratic process of the Labour Party Conference. However, there is a recognition that some of the language used within it could be misinterpreted as hostile to India and the Indian Diaspora,” Corbyn said in a reply to the Labour Friends of India (LFIN) group last week as he invited them for a meeting to further discuss the issue.

It came soon after the Indian Overseas Congress (IOC) UK chapter got embroiled in a controversy over the controversial resolution. Its members were pictured meeting Corbyn, who later took to Twitter to hail the “very productive” meet during which both sides discussed the human rights situation in Kashmir. While the BJP accused the opposition Congress of discussing India’s internal matters with foreign leaders, the IOC UK stressed that its delegation had met with Corbyn to “condemn” the Kashmir resolution passed at Labour Party annual conference.