Australian Brands, We Need to Talk About Diversity in Advertising

In 2019, I started an Instagram account called AUSSIEWOC out of pure frustration. I was tired of scrolling through the feeds of Australia's biggest fashion and beauty brands and seeing the same thing over and over: white women. Not because they were the most aspirational, but because they were the default. By 2020, I had documented over 140 Australian brands — including household names like Priceline and Kookai — using predominantly white women in their advertising. That Pull-Up campaign sparked real conversations, and brands actually listened (McoBeauty, Vogue Australia). But here's the truth: we shouldn't still be having this conversation in 2025.

Australia is one of the most multicultural countries in the world. Over 30% of Australians were born overseas. We represent enormous purchasing power — and yet, mainstream Australian advertising continues to treat diversity as optional. Brands like Priceline, who position themselves as inclusive beauty destinations, have been publicly called out for campaigns that erase the very customers walking through their doors. Kookai, once a darling of Australian fashion, faced backlash for persistently white-washed campaign imagery. This isn't a niche activist concern — it's a brand trust and revenue issue.

Diversity and inclusion in marketing isn't a PR checkbox or an annual NAIDOC Week post. It needs to be woven into every brief, every casting decision, every campaign strategy. At A-Game Agency, we believe that diverse marketing is not just ethically right — they are commercially smart. Brands that reflect the real face of Australia build deeper loyalty, wider reach, and stronger cultural relevance. If your Australian brand isn't intentionally inclusive, you're not just falling behind on values — you're a disaster waiting to happen. The question is no longer whether diversity in advertising matters in Australia. The question is: why hasn't your brand made it non-negotiable yet?

— Ashlene Nand, Founder, A-Game Agency