As a modern family owned brand that’s been part of the fabric of the nation’s mealtimes for over 50 years, McCain is passionate about celebrating the rich variety of life in the UK and aims to showcase how people come together at mealtimes. Last year, after research revealed that almost half of the UK population though that popular culture failed to reflect the reality of modern families in 2017, McCain launched the first phase of its ‘We Are Family’ campaign. The campaign was designed to celebrate diversity and ‘real’ families, whilst also challenging the typical family stereotype of a 2.4, ‘nuclear family. The first advert of the campaign launched last September and featured real families in their homes, including LGBT families, real-life grandparents and single parents to reflect modern day family life and how families of all shapes and sizes use mealtimes as a chance to come together and connect.

In addition to the advertising campaign, McCain partnered with the National Portrait Gallery to produce the first ever display of everyday people in the gallery, featuring anecdotal portraits of real people from across the country – no filters, no actors, no stereotypes, just real families connecting over different mealtime occasions. The display featured a melting pot of families from across Britain, celebrating some of the unique setups that exist today from multi-generational living, to single parents and traditional family units across varying demographics, age ranges and ethnicities.

In February 2018, McCain launched the second phase of the ‘We Are Family’ campaign, titled ‘Here’s to Love.’ This extension of the original campaign turned the spotlight to relationships and love by celebrating how a wide range of different couples connect nowadays.

Alongside the ‘We are Family’ campaign, McCain has also been committed to working with a number of partners to show how mealtimes can be at the centre of helping us to celebrate difference. For example, McCain has been the sponsor of Emmerdale since 2014, a natural partnership as both are proud to celebrate all forms of love and the reality of modern families across the UK in 2018.

McCain believes there is still more to do in helping to represent real people within marketing and advertising. As a result, McCain is proud to continue its mission of celebrating difference by making diversity a natural part of all of its marketing campaigns, just as it should be a natural part of everyday life. The brand believes that this commitment to reflecting the reality of the British population who buy their products is ultimately a great way to break down stereotypes and contribute to positive change in society.