April 2024
What was measured
We analyzed the top 1000 Belgian TV, Online, and Print advertisements from April 2024 ranked by media investment. We extracted 1203 faces of talent from these ads and mapped the representation of age, gender, and ethnicity using an image analysis algorithm and human quality control. "Talents" refer to actors, models, and depicted persons in advertisements.
| Channel | Number of assets | Number of talents |
|---|---|---|
| Television | 663 | 941 |
| Online Ads | 63 | 92 |
| 274 | 221 | |
| Total | 1000 | 1203 |
Remark: Some talents will appear in ads on multiple channels, therefore the total of all channels is not the sum. The total of all channels is the number unique talents across all channels.
Age representation
In this chart we see the visual age distribution of talents featured in the Top 1000 ads, compared to the age of the Belgian population (green area),
The visual age distribution is centered around age group 25-34, good for 33% of talent. This is more outspoken than in other months. The next two age groups are 35-44 and 18-24 , good for 20% and 16% of all talent respectively. Age group is -18 and 45-54 account both for 12% of talent.
Talents looking 45 and above account for only 20% of talents, while they represent 46% of the population and 53,5% of buying power.
Age distribution of casting in Top 1000 Ads compared to Belgian Population
Age by media
Online ads feature the youngest talent, closely followed by TV Ads. As in previous months, Print Ads shift towards older talent, although the largest represented group remains 25-34. Talent looking older than 45 account for 32% in Print ads, while only for 13% on Online ads.
Online
Television
Gender representation
Gender isn't simply a binary attribute determined by visual appearance. Our model, however, uses facial features to determine whether a person looks male or female.
Across the Top 1000 ads, we find 45% male talents and 55% female talents. This is in line with most previous months.
Visual Gender distribution of talent in Top 1000 Ads
Gender by media
In previous months TV Ads and particularly Online Ads would portray more female talent than Print Ads. This month the proportions female / male are constant across different media at about 55% female and 45% male representation.
Online
Television
Gender x Age
Female talents are younger than male talents when we cross visual age and visual gender. Under the age of 35 we see more female talent, over the age of 45 we see less female talent in the Ads. We observe this trend month after month.
| Age | Male | Female | Difference F-M/F+M |
|---|---|---|---|
| 65+ | 1% | 1% | 0% |
| 55-64 | 4% | 1% | -60% |
| 45-54 | 6% | 5% | -9% |
| 35-44 | 11% | 9% | -10% |
| 25-34 | 13% | 20% | 21% |
| 18-24 | 4% | 11% | 47% |
| -18 | 4% | 7% | 27% |
Visual Gender crossed with visual age of talent in Top 1000 Ads
Ethnic representation
According to the analysis, 80% of talents are perceived as White (55% White + 25% Mediterranean White/Middle Eastern) compared to 20% non-White. Black talent makes up 12% of depicted persons, while Asian talent makes up 4%. Overall ethnic diversity is slightly higher than previous months.
Based on facial features, the data model predicts the likelihood that a talent belongs to one of the ethnic/race groups. Due to the fact that there are no hard boundaries between ethnic/race groups, a talent can be perceived as having a dominant and a secondary ethnicity/race.
In addition to White (lighter) and Mediterranean White/Middle Eastern (darker), the model detects Black, Asian, South Asian (e.g. India, Pakistan) and Latine/Hispanic looking people.
Visual Ethnicity distribution of talent in Top 1000 Ads
Ethnicity by media
Online ads show the highest level of ethnic diversity, followed by TV ads. While print ads have the least ethnic diversity, the gap with the other channels is much smaller than in previous months.
Online
Television
Representation of Disability
Along with demographic representation, our image analysis algorithm detects visually detectable disabilities, including wheelchairs, mobility aids, canes, and prosthetic limbs.
There were three brands that portrayed people with disabilities. Brussels Airlines, Orange and Carglass. Orange shows a video featuring a wheelchair athlete. Brussels Airlines and Carglass feature persons with disabilities without making disability the central focus. This approach helps normalise disabilities.
Comparing sectors
Age representation per sector
Food and Drinks, Media and Publishing and Health and Pharma show the most age diversity, this means representing a wide range of ages.
As in previous months, the Beauty and Hygiene sector seems to stick to the notion that young is beautiful and aspirational for older audiences. Also Hospitality (mainly Fast Food and Food Delivery) shows few people over 45.
Sectors showing the most age diversity in their ads
| Rank | Sector | Diversity score | % 45+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | food and drinks | 80 | 19% |
| 2. | media and publishing | 74 | 31% |
| 3. | health and pharma | 72 | 30% |
Sectors showing the least age diversity in their ads
| Rank | Sector | Diversity score | % 45+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8. | toys and events | 63 | 10% |
| 9. | hospitality | 61 | 15% |
| 10. | beauty and hygiene | 58 | 8% |
Charts comparing age diversity in the most and least age diverse sector
Gender representation per sector
The Food and Drinks, Automotive and Transportation, Media and Publishing, and Cleaning Products sectors show the most balanced female/male representation. As expected, the Beauty and Hygiene sector predominantly features women. Although the Telco and Energy sector generally presents gender-balanced ads, this month's smaller number of ads and depicted individuals may explain the male skew.
Sectors showing the most gender diversity in their ads
| Rank | Sector | Diversity score | % Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | food and drinks | 50 | 51% |
| 2. | automotive and transportation, media and publishing | 50 | 54% |
| 3. | cleaning products | 50 | 46% |
Sectors showing the least gender diversity in their ads
| Rank | Sector | Diversity score | % Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8. | distribution and retail | 46 | 62% |
| 9. | telco and energy | 46 | 38% |
| 10. | beauty and hygiene | 34 | 75% |
Charts comparing gender diversity in the most and least gender diverse sector
Ethnic representation per sector
The Food and Drinks, Automotive and Transportation, and Hospitality sectors (primarily fast food and food delivery) are among the most ethnically diverse advertisers. These brands often use internationally produced ads, which tend to feature a broader range of ethnic diversity.
In line with previous months, Event ads, coming mainly from Media brands, are the least ethnically diverse.
Sectors showing the most ethnic diversity in their ads
| Rank | Sector | Diversity score |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | food and drinks | 60 |
| 2. | automotive and transportation, hospitality | 59 |
Sectors showing the least ethnic diversity in their ads
| Rank | Sector | Diversity score |
|---|---|---|
| 8. | health and pharma | 46 |
| 9. | media and publishing | 45 |
| 10. | toys and events | 44 |
Charts comparing ethnic diversity in the most and least ethnic diverse sector
Methodology
If you have questions about the methodology or the technology used to creat the Belgian Ad Diversity Barometer, check our methodology page.