Diversity and Inclusion in Creative Communications

E45’s mission is to make people feel comfortable in their skin. So, we sought out those who feel most uncomfortable in their skin, aiming to provide genuine physical and emotional relief.

Research revealed unique dermatological challenges during gender affirmation treatment. Our campaign, developed with trans people’s insights and set in trans women’s bathrooms, showcased intimate skincare routines. Partnering with trans HCPs, we published a review on transitioning’s impact on skin. Educational materials were distributed to 21 UK Gender Identity Clinics and via E45’s website.

The campaign increased Ad Awareness by 77%, with trans community members praising it as thoughtful and empathetic.

Judges Comments

This brand’s celebration of diversity and its uniqueness showed us dermatological challenges in a straightforward and trans-positive way. With both a published systematic review that raised awareness of trans skincare issues to a wider HCP population, and a consumer campaign that brilliantly represented trans experiences, the entire E45 programme provided great insights into the trans community. What’s more, it felt like there was genuine purpose behind the initiative, putting the spotlight on a subject in much need of attention in today’s politically polarised world.

Judges thought the video campaign, in particular, was not only stunning and beautifully crafted, it also had real heart, along with buckets of humour and quirkiness. In addition, the overall campaign delivered strong results in key brand metrics as well as improving trans visibility. As the judges commented, E45’s support for the trans community is not performative DE&I, it’s something that has real meaning. Judges said that being incredibly well-executed, unforgettable and amazing—this brave, honest and authentic campaign deserves a huge “bravo!”

Violet Gierko, OPEN X Health

Health inequalities can’t be ignored, contributing to millions of early deaths in England alone.

Medical technologies play a part in these failings with devices, such as common pulse oximeters, reported to be taking inaccurate, life-threatening, readings from people with darker skin. As the UK’s life science industry grows, the opportunity to reduce inequalities and provide a more inclusive future is huge, and one that Airquity sets out to tackle.

Airquity is an innovative core oximeter, designed as a non-invasive biometric sensor, that records medical-grade and racially inclusive health metrics from the inner ear canal—where all skin looks the same.

“Cancer Equals” is a campaign addressing inequalities in cancer diagnosis and care in the UK. Unlike previous research focused on statistics, this initiative prioritised patient voices, revealing the true impact of systemic barriers. Through interviews with 30+ patients and a national survey of over 1,000 individuals, shocking disparities emerged—people from diverse ethnic groups face diagnostic delays over twice as long as white patients.

The campaign’s human-centred approach featured powerful testimonies, ensuring diverse representation. Gaining national media attention, it inspired large-scale support. Notably, contributing patients were empowered as advocates, raising awareness and driving change in cancer inequalities within their communities.

Medical research charities are all working to involve more people from diverse ethnic communities in research. This is vital to tackling health inequalities.

Sponsored by eight charities, Egality and FreshRB CIC co-produced a film that could be used by all charities as a “call to action” across the sector. The film centres on a spoken word piece, developed by artist Duke Al. This was informed by people with lived experience and community organisations.

The campaign reached over 30,000 views across social media and boosted visits to charities research involvement pages. It is an evergreen resource to increase diverse involvement in research.

Under-representation of historically marginalised groups in clinical trials has significant negative impacts: it exacerbates existing health disparities, reduces scientific accuracy and generalisability, fosters mistrust, and increases costs.

To tackle this problem, IQVIA consolidated patient voices, epidemiological data, behavioral science insights, and expert creative direction to create a customisable Clinical Trial Diversity and Inclusion (CTDI) Toolkit, designed to support staff in enacting real change at clinical trial sites.

The toolkit cohesively combines video, audio, print, and live approaches into a seamless training experience. By providing actionable guidance, IQVIA is helping ensure medical advancements benefit all populations equitably.