People have lost their minds.
The latest outrage that angry people are getting angry about is adverts — specifically, too many non-white people in adverts.
Normally I’d start with some statistics to see if this complaint has any basis in fact. But not this time, because this isn’t really about numbers or representation. It’s about understanding how advertising actually works — and the fact that a lot of people clearly don’t.
Advertisers don’t fill their campaigns with diversity to tick boxes or appease the “woke mob.” They do it because advertising is about selling things, and that means understanding who the buyers are. Big brands spend millions working out who their customers are — their demographics, attitudes, spending habits, and aspirations — and then they design adverts that appeal to those people.
In Britain, the people who work, earn money, and buy things are increasingly diverse, better educated, and more socially liberal. So of course, adverts reflect that reality.
It’s the same reason that film casts have become more diverse, and why Disney princesses aren’t all white anymore. It’s not ideology — it’s economics.
That doesn’t mean older, wealthier audiences are ignored. There are plenty of well-off pensioners, but they’re also the most brand-loyal demographic around. They don’t change toothpaste because of a catchy jingle or a smiling influencer. That’s why you’ll see their adverts — stairlifts, funeral plans, hearing aids — clustered around the ad breaks in Midsomer Murders.
The endless outrage whipped up by social media has robbed people of their sense and their ability to think rationally about even the most basic ideas. Diversity in advertising isn’t part of a cultural conspiracy. It’s a mirror held up to modern Britain — and if you don’t like what you see, that probably says more about you than the adverts.