Bastion Shine teams up with Comms Council and Manurewa High School on diversity drive

The advertising industry is often responsible for creating campaigns and communication that engages Aotearoa’s increasingly diverse ethnic population. Yet, diversity in the creative sector is still grossly lacking.

In the Commercial Communications Council’s (Comms Council) latest Diversity, Equity and Inclusion report, only seven percent of respondents working in the industry identified as Māori and only three percent as Pacific Islanders.

As part of Bastion Shine’s involvement in a working group with the Comms Council and other partner agencies to collectively create more pathways into our industry, the agency has been matched with Manurewa High School, one of Aotearoa’s most diverse schools.

Bastion Shine’s journey with them throughout 2022 has included hui across seven months, as part of the School’s Creative Ara (pathway) Mentoring programme. Each session involved korero and kai, introducing how wide the advertising industry is.

Melissa Hill, Bastion Shine’s COO says that tackling this diversity gap has to start earlier.

“Creating awareness of our sector and pathways into it, before our rangatahi even have to entertain decisions about tertiary study.”

“Leaders from our Strategy, Creative and Design teams went to Manurewa to share their industry journey, their role and bring inspiration to these high school students about an industry that, in most cases, they weren’t really aware of.

“To end the programme, we gave the students their first brief on a topic they felt was important among their peer group, increasing awareness around the risks of vaping. They used what they’d learned over the year and landed creative ideas that spoke to their mates,” says Hill.

The agency has also welcomed one of the students to intern with them over the summer break, is excited to learn that advertising will now be included in the School’s English curriculum for 2023 and that they’ll be able to continue their journey with Manurewa High.

“As much as these kids might have learned something new from us, we learned just as much from them. All of us who’ve been fortunate to spend time with these bright young minds come away deeply enriched.

“A huge whakawhetai (thanks) to the Director of Disruption, Emma O’Riordan and the Executive Director of The Manurewa High Business Academy, Leanne Gibson for their leadership and championing this with their student body,” adds Hill.

Emma O’Riordan, Director of Disruption at the Manurewa High Business Academy, says: “We were thrilled to add a new programme in collaboration with Bastion Shine, called Creative Ara (pathway) Mentoring. It was a deep and comprehensive way to educate our students about the opportunities within the advertising industry.

“Every session felt like a masterclass. The students even worked on their own campaign; the future is bright with these future creatives!”

Student Sara Abo Ness shared her feedback: “The Creative Ara mentoring programme exposed me to a career path I hadn’t yet considered, and the workshops taught me valuable skills of advertising and influencing others through creative ideas.”

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