NEW YORK — In its continued efforts to create awareness and impact around advertising industry diversity and inclusion, DDB Worldwide, part of Omnicom Group (NYSE: OMC), have announced the launch of “Pride in Talent,” a social media campaign in support of LGBT Pride Month intended to underscore the agency’s overall belief in nourishing a diverse talent base. The campaign builds on DDB’s earlier talent initiative, “Talent Has No Gender,” which launched on International Women’s Day in support of gender equality at the agency and throughout the advertising industry.
The “Pride in Talent” campaign kicks off with a film highlighting the importance of encouraging people to bring their true selves—their whole selves— to work. The film, which can be viewed above, celebrates DDB employees and provides a rallying cry for overall acceptance. Later this month, the program will encourage DDB employees from around the globe to take a selfie, upload it to the “Pride in Talent” app, customize it with their talent, and share it on social channels with the hashtag #PrideInTalent. To support Pride events throughout the U.S., the campaign will reach beyond the DDB network and encourage people to use the app to celebrate and share their pride in their own talent via Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram.
Wendy Clark, President and Chief Executive Officer of North America, stated, “At DDB we believe strongly that the best work and the greatest creativity are found in that which makes us dimensional and different, not homogenous and the same. Our very diversity of views and outlooks and cultures and lifestyles is the key to our most insightful thinking and work, and ultimately our continued success. With that in mind, we are so proud to celebrate our diverse and multifaceted associates during LGBT Pride Month, and every month.”
DDB has also recently launched an “Unconscious Bias” training program, with a public commitment to train all the approximately 2,000 North America associates by the end of 2016. This foundational pillar for the DDB Diversity & Inclusion strategy will be offered to all employees as an in-person training opportunity supported by e-learning tools to help mitigate bias and raise awareness.
