Celebrating Black History Month 2024: Four Inspiring Campaigns We Love.
October is a time to reflect on the remarkable contributions of Black individuals to society, culture, and history, and it’s a month when brands and organisations across the UK come together to celebrate and honour these achievements.
As we mark Black History Month 2024, we are witnessing an exciting array of campaigns that elevate Black voices, spotlight important narratives, and encourage meaningful conversations.
Here’s a round-up of four standout campaigns this year that we loved, plus some insights into how brands can help retain more Black talent in the industry.
1. John Lewis – ‘Celebrating Black Beauty’
John Lewis & Partners’ Black History Month 2024 campaign celebrates Black beauty by highlighting diverse beauty and hair care needs, with a special focus on supporting Black-owned brands.
The initiative includes showcasing a curated range of inclusive beauty products, offering educational resources and tutorials on caring for Black hair and skin, and promoting diverse representation through the use of Black models and beauty experts.
This campaign is part of John Lewis’s broader commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion (ED&I) and aims to empower underrepresented voices in the beauty industry.
2. Gymshark – ‘Twist ‘n’ Sets’
Gymshark partnered with a black-owned hair brand, Ruka Hair to launch a three-day pop-up for Black History Month.
From October 25th -27th, free hair services were offered in Shoreditch and the event was tagged Twists ‘n’ Sets where people also had the chance to shop from Black-owned beauty brands like Kurl Kitchen and Plant Made, alongside Gymshark’s diffuse sweat headband, designed specifically for textured hair.
3. Transport For London – ‘Windrush Generation’
Transport for London (TFL)’s Mind The Gap podcast featured a conversation with the Windrush Foundation co-founder, Arthur Torrington alongside Tim Dunn, a railway historian where discussions about how the lives of the migrants and the legacy of the Windrush generation can be preserved. The episode marked the naming of overground lines in London to preserve these key figures in history and one line set to be named The Windrush Line.
4. Genomics England – ‘Improving Black Health Outcomes’
Genomics England, through its new “Improving Black Health Outcomes” initiative, launched a digital and out-of-home campaign to boost genomic sequencing and improve health outcomes for British Caribbeans.
The four-minute advert features Jean, 84, a Windrush-generation immigrant, and her grandson Tre, 29, enjoying a game of dominoes, a classic Caribbean past-time. They discuss the benefits of understanding inherited health conditions for younger generations. When asked why Improving Black Health Outcomes was created, Dr Cristina Vagnoni said “Our vision is that all patients, regardless of their background, receive the same quality of genomics-enabled personalised medicine, supported by the latest research including people like them…”
Beyond flashy advertisements and limited-edition products, what stands out this year is the focus on long-term change and the cultivation of spaces where Black people can thrive. From the beauty sector to health and even transportation sector, these campaigns push the conversation forward, making Black history not a month-long reflection but an ongoing celebration and exploration of Black identity, resilience, and excellence.
Fo us at GottaBe! Ethnic, an important part of the Black History Month was our Everyone Doing it Together (EDI) event we had on the 10th of October where we had people from diverse sectors come together and have engaging conversations about ED&I in the industry.
One of the most pressing conversations during the event was around retention of Black talent in the industry. Our panellist, Nick Myers, the Chief Strategy Officer at OLIVER mentioned how “what gets measured, gets done…” and the importance of building a diverse team in every company. He spoke on how we can better support Black professionals in the sector and ensure that the industry becomes a more welcoming and inclusive place for them. Watch the session below.
Want to get involved with our 2025 event? Don’t miss out on the chance to explore deeper conversations around equality in marketing and beyond, join our waitlist here.
For further insights on how brands can create more inclusive and supportive environments for the black community, check out the full discussion at the event here.If you are looking to improve your communication or marketing around the UK’s diverse communities, reach out to us and we would be happy to help.