In 2020 - during the wake of the murder of George Floyd and resurgence of the BLM movement - Quiet Storm joined the fight against racism with the objective of raising awareness of how widespread it is in the UK. Whilst also providing an opportunity for young people from under-represented backgrounds to have pathways into the advertising industry. And what better way to bring to life the reality of racism than to involve in the development of the campaign the very people who experience it on a daily basis? 

We connected with young, predominantly black, communities and asked them to help us see racism through their eyes. We listened to their stories, to how they felt and how discrimination affects them. 

Challenge

• Most people don’t see themselves as racist. They acknowledge that racism exists and get angry about the injustice of it. Yet they fail to see the everyday discrimination black communities experience and how this holds them back in life. And, importantly, they fail to see their own, often quite subtle, prejudices and racial bias. 

Solution

• The solution was two fold. We sought to alert and educate people to these subtle prejudices that are prevalent in our society. From micro aggressions, to stereotypical assumptions. For example, that Black men are more likely to be aggressive, violent, or linked with criminality.
• We also got the people who live with this everyday, to create the campaign with us. As well as creating relevant and impactful work this addressed the lack of diversity within the advertising and creative industry.
• We created a series of activations to address this under the overarching thought 'Check Your Prejudice' which sought to drive widespread awareness of these issues.

Results

• Online media reach of 500m with £0 spent; Estimated 454k views; Over 50 pieces of coverage including: The Voice, The Guardian and Campaign; National TV coverage, including Sky and ITV news
• Campaign Pick of the Week & shortlisted as no.6 in the top 10 press ads of the year; Winner of a Campaign Purpose award for Best Equality and Inclusion Cause campaign. Highly Recommended Drum Marketing award
• Most importantly, for our young participants, being a part of the Create Not Hate network builds them up, allows them to develop skills, gives them mentorship and meaningful opportunities in our industry.