When Superdrug and Savers set out to refresh their approach to diversity, equity and inclusion, they weren’t looking for another employee engagement or awareness campaign. They wanted to start conversations that lasted long after the launch film had finished.
Unlearn became a campaign platform, giving the business a recognisable way to explore inclusion through real stories, honest conversations and practical learning across internal and external communications.
The heartbeat
Children don’t see difference in the same way adults do. They don’t inherit bias. They don’t create stereotypes. Those behaviours are learned over time, shaped by the world around us. That became the emotional inspiration point for Unlearn. Rather than talking about inclusion, we invited colleagues to reflect on their own experiences and assumptions. Childhood photographs sat alongside present-day portraits, while personal stories challenged the labels and misconceptions people encounter every day. The employee engagement campaign wasn’t designed to lecture but designed to make people stop, think and see one another differently.
To ensure the message lived far beyond the launch film, we developed a flexible employee engagement campaign identity and communications toolkit that could evolve throughout the year. Posters, social content, internal communications, learning materials and digital assets all worked together to reinforce one simple idea: inclusion isn’t something we achieve once, it’s something we practise every day.
The impact
Unlearn established a distinctive and enduring platform for diversity, equity and inclusion across Superdrug and Savers. Supporting colleague engagement, recruitment, learning and wider communications, the campaign continues to provide a framework for new stories, educational content and conversations across the business.
Its success was recognised beyond the organisation, receiving Highly Commended in the Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (JEDI) Award at the People in Retail Awards. The recognition celebrated the campaign’s authentic storytelling, its focus on real colleague experiences and its contribution to creating a more inclusive workplace.
Unlearn continues to encourage colleagues to reflect, challenge assumptions and approach difference with greater empathy, ensuring the campaign remains as relevant as the conversations it was designed to inspire.
