May 17, 2024 – Skincare brand E45 today unveils its Channel 4 Diversity in Advertising Award-winning campaign – shining a light on the lived experiences of Trans people with a new TV ad debuting tonight (Friday 17 May), backed by over £1 million worth of commercial advertising airtime across the Channel 4 network.

The ad, This Is Me, This Is My Space, features a group of Trans people in the privacy of their bathrooms, focusing on personal skincare which helps them feel confident and comfortable. This Is Me, This Is My Space, which premieres on Channel 4 tonight (Friday 17 May – Gogglebox, 9pm), places particular emphasis on the physical challenges placed upon skin from transitioning, relatable to Trans people and sufferers of skin conditions alike.

Complementing the TV ad, next week sees the launch of a short-form social-first series, In My Skin, which sees a diverse collective of Trans people share their experiences of transitioning. The series shares the deep and personal experiences of Trans people on their transitioning journey, focusing on the struggles and hardships that people faced before making the decision to transition, and the empowerment from having embraced their authentic selves.

The broadcaster’s 2023 edition of its annual £1 million creative competition – now in its eighth year – challenged the advertising industry to address the lack of authentic representation of LGBTQIA+ communities in TV advertising across the UK. It was launched following the release of industry-leading insight, commissioned by Channel 4 Sales, which showed that brands had stepped back from portraying LGBTQIA+ communities, becoming apprehensive about promoting campaigns such as Pride through fear of backlash.

Recognising that the LGBTQIA+ communities themselves are diverse and intersectional – embracing and recognising a broad range of diversity, sexuality, and identity – the 2023 Award brief challenged advertisers and agencies to pitch an exceptional TV ad that best features and portrays LGBTQIA+ communities.

E45’s ad campaign has been produced by its creative agency T&Pm. E45’s social-first programming has been produced by 4Studio, Channel 4’s content and social division, with Channel 4 Sales’ branded entertainment team.

Verica Djurdjevic, Chief Revenue Officer at Channel 4, said: “At Channel 4, we passionately believe that better representation delivers compelling storytelling for viewers, and, standout commercial results for our partners. This powerful campaign is our latest step in driving positive, authentic representation.”

Sally Perry, Global Skin Health Category Director on E45 at Karo Healthcare, said: “We’re proud to share this first of a kind portrayal of trans women on their journey to becoming more comfortable in their skin, shining a light on the realities – both painful and joyful – involved. In doing so, we hope to create visibility and empathy for all trans people. E45 has always been a brand for everyone. We have been skin experts for over 70 years, providing solutions for a vast range of skin conditions. We are committed to making skin feel comfortable so that everyone can feel comfortable in their skin.”

Mika Alcock, Creative at T&Pm, said: “Through working on the Channel 4 Diversity In Advertising Award brief, I have been lucky enough to find myself surrounded by a bunch of amazing allies who feel as passionately about change as I do. I wish those who feel unsupported, unheard, and unloved could see that good people are supporting them. If they did, maybe they would be as hopeful as me that one day things will change.”

Channel 4 has a heritage of addressing representation for commercial growth:

• Black in Business: supports Black-owned businesses new to TV advertising.
• Untapped: a ground-breaking commercial initiative to invest in entrepreneurs who have traditionally been overlooked by the VC ecosystem.