WHY DIVERSITY AND REPRESENTATION ARE MORE THAN JUST BUZZWORDS

In recent years, the words diversity and representation have become increasingly common across the advertising and creative industries. They appear in brand strategies, campaign briefs and industry conversations, but behind the language sits a much more important discussion about how advertising reflects the real world.

At its core, representation is about reality. The audiences that brands speak to are incredibly varied: Age, ethnicity, body type, ability, family structure and life experience all shape how people move through the world. When advertising reflects that variety, campaigns feel more authentic and relatable.

In the UK alone, around 13.9 million people live with a disability, which represents roughly one in five people. Yet historically, people with disabilities were rarely seen in mainstream advertising or media, and when they were included, it was often through narrow or stereotypical portrayals rather than as part of everyday life.

That gap between reality and representation is one of the reasons diversity in casting matters so much.

WHY REPRESENTATION MATTERS

Advertising shapes the stories we see about ourselves and the world around us. When certain groups are absent from those stories, it can send an unspoken message about who is considered visible, valuable or aspirational. 

For many people growing up with visible or invisible differences, the experience of seeing someone who looks like them in advertising simply didn’t exist. 

Model Christelle Mengue, who has albinism, explains how powerful that absence can be: 

“Growing up, I had very low self-esteem and self-worth as I couldn't see anyone that looked like me. Having never seen anybody looking like me in a movie, magazine or on TV is why I am proud to represent people with albinism as a model and be part of changing that.” 

Representation can help challenge those experiences. When audiences see a wider range of people in campaigns, it reinforces the idea that everyone belongs within those spaces.

HOW THE MODELLING INDUSTRY HAS CHANGED

The modelling industry has evolved significantly over the past two decades.

Historically, the industry was often associated with a narrow definition of beauty and a limited range of model types. While commercial modelling has always been broader than high fashion, advertising campaigns still tended to follow familiar visual patterns.

That landscape has changed. Brands now recognise that audiences expect authenticity, so campaigns that reflect real life tend to resonate more strongly than those that rely on outdated ideals.

Social media has also played an important role in accelerating that change. People now see a wider range of faces, bodies and identities online every day, and as a result, audiences increasingly expect advertising to reflect that same diversity.

Tessa Dewing, MD of Sandra Reynolds, and Host of the Business of Modelling podcast, interviewed Zoe Proctor and Laura Winson, co-founders of Zebedee Talent, and during the conversation, they made a very clear point: the talent has always been there. The issue was never a lack of talented people with disabilities or visible differences. The issue was a lack of opportunity, a lack of visibility and long-standing discrimination within the industry and wider society.

The result is a broader understanding of what modelling looks like today. Commercial campaigns now regularly feature families, couples, older models, people with disabilities and individuals with distinctive or unconventional looks. 

WHY REALNESS MATTERS IN CASTING

Alongside diversity, the concept of realness has become increasingly important in advertising.

Brands are moving away from overly polished or unrealistic portrayals and instead focusing on casting talent who feel genuine and relatable. This is particularly true in lifestyle campaigns, television commercials and social-first advertising.

Real people bring lived experience to a campaign. They bring personality, authenticity and a sense of familiarity that audiences recognise immediately.

That shift has opened the door for talent who might previously have been overlooked within traditional modelling structures. 

WHAT STILL NEEDS TO CHANGE

While the industry has made progress, there is still work to do.

Representation can sometimes appear in waves, with certain types of campaigns or conversations briefly drawing attention to inclusion before moving on to the next trend. For representation to be meaningful, it needs to become part of the industry’s everyday thinking rather than an occasional initiative.

That means casting talent with different backgrounds and abilities in ordinary roles rather than only when a campaign specifically focuses on diversity. It also means creating working environments that support accessibility and ensure that all talent feel comfortable and valued on set.

In Tessa’s conversation with Laura and Zoe, founders of Zebedee, they spoke about how inclusion needs to be built into the practical side of productions. Their talent complete access riders so that key needs can be shared with clients in advance, whether that is space for a wheelchair to turn, the availability of a disabled toilet, support from an assistant, or awareness around sensory triggers such as loud noise or smell. Often, these are relatively small adjustments, but discussing them early can make the difference between a shoot that merely looks inclusive and one that is inclusive in practice. 

WHERE WE FIT IN

At Sandra Reynolds, representation has always been closely connected to how we build our roster of talent.

Commercial modelling has long been about reflecting real life. The brands we work with are speaking to broad and varied audiences, and casting should mirror that reality.

One of the ways we support this is through our Real & Unique division, which represents talent with distinctive looks, lived experiences and perspectives that fall outside traditional modelling categories.

By representing a wide range of talent across different ages, backgrounds and experiences, we aim to help brands create work that feels both credible and relevant to their audiences.

CONTINUING THE CONVERSATION

The conversation around diversity and representation is still evolving, and the modelling industry is part of that wider shift.

Tessa Dewing recently explored this topic in more depth on The Business of Modelling podcast, speaking with the founders of Zebedee Talent about the importance of inclusive representation within advertising and media. Their discussion touched on the long road to getting disability included in mainstream casting conversations, the role of agencies in educating clients, and why authentic inclusion has to go beyond token gestures. 

Listen to the full episode on SPOTIFY or APPLE PODCASTS

FINAL THOUGHTS

Diversity and representation are sometimes treated as industry buzzwords, but their importance runs far deeper than that.

When advertising reflects the diversity of the real world, it creates work that audiences recognise and trust. It challenges outdated ideas about who can be visible and celebrated in media.

For brands, agencies and talent alike, the goal should not be to follow trends but to tell stories that reflect the real people who make up our audiences.

Frequently Asked Questions About Building a Modelling Career

Why is diversity important in advertising and modelling?

Diversity helps advertising reflect real life. When campaigns include people of different ages, backgrounds and abilities, audiences are more likely to recognise themselves in the work.

Has the modelling industry become more diverse?

Yes. The industry has broadened significantly in recent years, with more campaigns featuring people of different ages, body types, ethnicities and abilities, but there is still work to be done. 

What does “real people casting” mean?

Real people casting refers to brands choosing talent who represent everyday audiences rather than traditional model types. This approach helps campaigns feel more authentic and relatable.

How can brands create more inclusive campaigns?

Brands can create more inclusive campaigns by working with agencies that represent diverse talent and by casting people who genuinely reflect the audiences they want to reach.