Channel 4 announce shortlist for Superhumans Wanted initiative

Channel 4 has announced the final eight brands and advertising agencies shortlisted for its Superhumans Wanted initiative following almost 90 brands and agencies pitching campaign ideas featuring disability and disabled talent to win £1 million of the broadcaster’s commercial airtime.

The eight shortlisted brand and agency pairings are as follows: Amazon; Barclays and BBH London; Dove and Ogilvy; H&M and adam&eveDDB; Lloyds Bank and (also) adam&eveDDB: Lynx and TMW Unlimited; Malteasers and AMV BBDO; and Purdey’s and iris Worldwide.

“Superhumans Wanted encourages advertisers and agencies to think differently about how they represent disability in their campaigns”

Launched as part of Channel 4’s Year of Disability, the £1 million Superhumans Wanted prize will be awarded to the brand or agency with the strongest campaign idea, and their ad given an exclusive launch spot in the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony on Wednesday September 7. The competition, launched at Ad Week Europe in April, extends the broadcaster’s far-reaching commitments to improving diversity on-and-off-screen beyond just its editorial content and into Channel 4’s important commercial airtime. The judging panel, chaired by Channel 4 Sales Director, Jonathan Allan, includes: Tim Lefroy, CEO, Advertising Association; Claire Beale, Global Editor-in-Chief, Campaign; Tom Knox, President, IPA; Mike Hughes, Director General, ISBA; Chris Bovill & John Allison, Heads of 4Creative; and Dan Brooke, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer, Channel 4. The winning campaign will be announced on Thursday June 9.

Meet the Superhumans (from 2012)

Jonathan Allan, said: “We launched Superhumans Wanted to encourage UK advertisers and agencies to think differently about how they represent disability in their TV ad campaigns as we enter into the Rio Paralympics, and the response from the industry has been completely overwhelming. It was a tough shortlisting process but we believe we have the best of many unique campaign ideas in our final eight, and a real challenge awaits our expert judging panel to pick just one winner. Most importantly we hope that this initiative will inspire better disability representation in advertising and improve diversity in our commercial airtime.”

“It was a tough shortlisting process but we believe we have the best of many unique campaign ideas in our final eight selections”

In January, Channel 4 announced its year of disability with commitments to boost on- and off-screen representation of disabled people. This includes doubling the number of disabled people appearing in 20 of Channel 4’s biggest shows, including Gogglebox, The Island, and Hollyoaks the First Dates. Channel 4’s coverage of the Rio Paralympics will be hosted by televisual sporting monopoliser Clare Balding and Breaking Bad actor RJ Mitte, who played Walter White’s disabled son Walt Jr. £300,000 is also being invested in new talent initiatives, with an off-screen commitment to progress the careers of 20 disabled people already working in the industry in Channel 4’s 20 biggest suppliers. And, within Channel 4, 50% of all the broadcaster’s apprenticeships and 30% of all its work experience placements will be ring fenced for disabled people.