The Creative Moment Podcast: Mark Runacus MBE, co-founder of creative agency Wax/On and the joint chief executive of Outvertising

On the podcast this week Creative Moment co-founder Ben Smith talks to Mark Runacus MBE.

Mark is the co-founder of creative agency Wax/On and the joint chief executive of Outvertising, which is a volunteer-run UK-based network of LGBTQ+ people working in the creative industries.

Mark talks about role models past and present, discrimination in the workplace and his history at Karmarama.

Here’s what I asked Mark:

  • One element of Mark's work with Outvertising is to try and create role models for the LGBTQ+ community. Mark talk's about why role models in adverts are important?
  • So when was the first advert that featured a gay man?

  • YouGov research in 2015 suggested that half of 18 to 24 year-olds don't identify as 100% straight. Mark talks about how society is changing rapidly.

  • What role does advertising play in societal change?

  • Mark talks about Outvertising's mentor scheme and how people can get involved with it?

  • Mark on the disturbing discrimination statistics of LGBTQ+ people in the workplace.

  • Mark talks about his time at Karmarama where he was chief strategy officer when it was bought by Accenture. What was his experience of working as a creative person for a management consultancy business?

  • Why does Mark believe that "creatives forgot about the importance of the channel about 25 years ago?"

  • Why does Mark's current business Wax On primarily focus on scale-up businesses?

Useful links:

7 Pillars of Inclusion
Kinsey Scale
Father of transgender daughter
IKEA's first gay advert in 1994
Ogilvy's Guinness ad

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