Diversity in television commercials took a hit in 2022, with the share of people of color shown in ads dropping to 27.6% from 34.5%, according to a new study.
White people represented 72.5% of the actors in ads, up from 54.6%, the study found.
Black actors got 14.3% of the roles in ads, down from 16.5%. Hispanics fell to 5% from 9.6% and Asians in ads dropped to 8.3% from 8.4%.
“Diversity is such an important topic, yet there has been little quantifiable information available at scale related to the people featured in advertising creative,” said Melinda McLaughlin, CMO of Extreme Reach, which compiled the study. “We set out to give brands and agencies the information needed to make the decisions that matter to their business. This report provides a high level view of diversity in ads that establishes the baseline for the industry, from which brands can devise their own unique roadmap.”
The majority of voices heard in commercials are male, with men making up 73% those speaking in ads, up from 65%, the study found. ■
