The Make Room campaign, created by Portland creative agency Red & Co, explores the question of “who gets to tell stories”. It’s fronted by Orange Is the New Black actor Uzo Aduba, and emphasises the need for writing, directing and acting from a representative range of people, that can reflect a broader set of experiences on-screen.

Backing up the message, Red & Co hired all-female creative teams, as well as a woman editor, director and woman-led production company.

“Brands, just like people, have to stand for something,” says the agency. “As people, discrimination takes away everyone’s humanity. As consumers, discrimination denies us exposure to the brilliant talent that could captivate, delight, challenge and educate us.

“Our film asks people to identify with a sense of being left out, of being discriminated against, and ends with a promise that if you want to seek out new voices and new stories, they’re on Netflix, looking for you.”

The film itself is relatively straightforward, but carries an effective message – avoiding the patronising tone that’s often the downfall of campaigns about diversity. With Netflix pouring investment into original content, it’s encouraging to see the streaming service making a public commitment to representative storytelling.

redandco.com