It pays to be privileged: Creature’s “class polish” campaign highlights UK pay gap

People from working class backgrounds earn on average £6000 a year less than their middle class counterparts, according the government’s own analysis of around 300,000 civil servants.

Creature London is highlighting this “posh privilege” with a TV, cinema and social campaign for a fictional product called “Class Polish,” starring Scottish comedian Fern Brady.

Dan Cullen-Shute, CEO at Creature says: “At Creature, we want to leave the industry better than we found it, and we firmly believe that tackling social mobility is at the heart of that. So, it’s been a genuine honour to work with the Department for Opportunities on this project. The Class Pay Gap is real, and it’s incredibly damaging, and it needs to be closed. We’re proud to be part of a campaign to help do just that.”

There’s a site with a #ClassPolish hashtag for sharing stories of classism in the workplace, as well as a petition to sign. The goal is for employers to measure, report and finally close the class pay gap.

A tricky issue to take on — class is the “hidden diversity issue” — but this nod to Heineken’s classic “Water in Majorca” ad is a good start.