The Advertising Association’s 2020 Parliamentary Reception will champion the positive social contribution that Britain’s advertising industry has on society.
Taking place on 17 March (during Advertising Week Europe), the reception will be hosted by MP Damian Collins in the Churchill Room of the House of Commons. It will celebrate adland’s force for good in front of an audience made up of politicians, civil servants and industry leaders.
The reception coincides with the AA's eighth report in its Advertising Pays series, compiled by Credos, which examines the ways in which the UK ad industry supports social good.
According to the report, agencies provide 3% of their time (equivalent to £75m) to pro-bono work across good causes, health and well-being campaigns and corporate social responsibility activities. Meanwhile, 42% of adults believe advertising can make the world a better place.
To bring the industry’s positive social impact to life, there will be an exhibition of ads that have positively affected society, including Channel 4 "Disability works", ITV and Veg Power "Eat them to defeat them" and Sky "Ocean rescue", which saw more than 220 MPs and MEPs sign up to reduce their consumption of single-use plastic.
Keith Weed, president of the AA, said: "This year’s Parliamentary Reception is the perfect forum to demonstrate the huge contribution that advertising makes to society. By sharing with political leaders and the public the extent and examples of the positive impact advertising makes, we will help to rebuild the bond of trust between our industry and the general public, which is a core tenet of my role as president."
Promoting the role of "responsible advertising and its value to people, society, businesses and the economy" sits at the heart of the AA’s new mission statement. At its annual Lead summit earlier this year, AA chief executive Stephen Woodford outlined the mission, which is part of a three-year strategy called "Responsibility, trust and growth".
Woodford said: "Advertising makes a huge contribution to the economy, supporting nearly one million jobs and helping businesses to grow in the UK and around the world. But there is more to advertising than just economic growth – advertising also contributes in areas such as in health and well-being, promoting diversity and in action on climate change. It is important we recognise this and consider how our industry can work in partnership with government to make even more of a contribution to society in the years to come."
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