How representative are adverts of the British population? Channel 4’s Mirror On The Industry audit reveals all

77% of people agree that DEI is important in advertising. However, pregnant women appear in just 0.1% of all UK adverts, only 2% of ads feature LGBTQIA+ people which is below the 3.2% of LGBTQIA+ people living in the UK population at the time of the 2021 Census, and only 4% of ads feature disabled people vs. 17.8% in the UK population (Census 2021), unchanged from the average representation of the last six years. 

This is according to Mirror On The Industry, Channel 4’s award-winning series exploring diverse representation in UK TV advertising. To mark its sixth year, it celebrates positive examples of inclusive advertising and examines the progress that has occurred since 2019, alongside current perceptions around representation within the industry. The report, produced in collaboration with research agency Tapestry, does however reveal that despite perceived improvements, representation of some minority groups has stagnated and remains tied to limiting portrayals. This report was revealed today during an event hosted by Channel 4, in partnership with ISBA.

The research highlights three key opportunity areas that the advertising industry should consider:

• The power of storytelling through ad format
• The balance between aspirational and relatable characters and storylines
• The inclusion of people we rarely or never see in TV advertising 

Montage-style adverts, which are more likely to feature characters that are often unrepresented are on the rise. While they do allow for more representative ads, individual characters receive significantly less screen time and 87% of tokenistic portrayals occur in this style of ad, highlighting the ongoing challenge of maintaining authenticity and quality storytelling with this format, so that inclusion doesn’t come across as a tick-box exercise intentionally built into the advert.

In recent years, whilst there have been lots of notable examples of brands challenging conventional beauty standards, the  report shows a slightly different story with only 5% of all characters in ads featuring people who are defined as  ‘plus-size', a significant drop from 13% in 2023, and when looking at the Fitzpatrick skin colour code[1], those with darker skin tones are the least likely to appear. Depictions of ordinary life are also often skewed, for instance with working class characters less likely to be portrayed as confident or happy. 

In addition, key data from the latest audit shows that several groups remain consistently underrepresented in advertising. This includes disabled people, who only play a lead role in 2% of ads overall (dropping to 0.3% of ads showing neurodivergent people or those with neurological or mental health conditions), pregnant people, with only 0.1% of ads featuring them, LGBTQIA+ people, who play a lead role in just 1% of ads, and those aged 70+, who are most often featured in specific advertisements focused on health or charity. 

In response, this report makes recommendations for brands and marketeers to capitalise on this opportunity:

• There are large groups in our society who are often overlooked, and this is reflected in TV advertising. Push the boundaries, show the people we rarely see – tell the stories that are rarely told.
• Research your audiences, develop campaigns rooted in informed lived experience, test executions, and consider the role of format in your storytelling process.
• From beauty standards to relationship and family dynamics and class – push representation and portrayal to walk the line between aspiration and relatability.

Rak Patel, Chief Commercial Officer at Channel 4 said: “At Channel 4 we believe deeply in our role as a catalyst for positive social impact. Mirror on the Industry is more than an ad audit; it's our commitment to expose where advertising still falls short, and to light up the path forward. We want advertisers and agencies to see us as more than a media owner, we’re your partner. We want to walk alongside you in your DEI journey. When levels of representation are greater and portrayal is more authentic, and more inclusive, the stories we tell become richer, the connections stronger, and the business case undeniable.”

Bobi Carly, Director of Industry Relations & Inclusion Co-Lead at ISBA said: “ISBA’s Inclusion Network, made up of 70+ Advertisers, believe representation in advertising is not a nice-to-have, it’s a business imperative and a moral responsibility. The data from Mirror on the Industry makes it clear: too many communities remain invisible or inauthentically portrayed. Brands have the power to change this. By investing in inclusive storytelling, rooted in lived experience and informed research, advertisers can build deeper trust, drive stronger commercial outcomes, and reflect the society they serve.”

-ENDS-

For the full report please click here: Mirror on the Industry: Reflecting Real Lives in UK Advertising | 4 Sales

Appendix

On 30 September Channel 4 hosted an event, in partnership with ISBA to reveal the latest Mirror On The Industry results. During the event there was a panel session with representatives from Danone, Unstereotype Alliance, With Not For and Purple Goat.

[1]A classification system that categorises skin types based on their response to ultraviolet light and tanning ability.