Canadian retailer Mountain Equipment Co-op has apologized after it was called out on social media for showing predominately white models in its advertisements.
In March, Judith Kasiama wrote to MEC and other sports companies on social media to complain about the lack of diversity in their marketing.
“As I explored the outside, I recognized that a lot of brands weren’t reflecting stories like my own or showcasing people like myself out in nature,” she told CTV Calgary on Tuesday.
In response, MEC reached out to Kasiama and they began discussions on how to improve the outfitter’s advertisements. The Vancouver-based company, known for selling outdoor recreational gear and clothing to its members, eventually made Kasiama a MEC ambassador in April.
“We can’t say Canada is diverse but then don't want to talk about these hard issues,” Kasiama said.
Six months later, MEC’s CEO David Labistour posted an open letter on the company’s website in which he admitted the retailer has perpetuated the “vastly incorrect notion that people of colour in Canada don’t ski, hike, climb or camp.”
He wrote that MEC recognizes the role they’ve played in underrepresenting visible minorities in nature and vowed to change that in the company’s future advertisements.
“I promise that moving forward, we will make sure we’re inspiring and representing the diverse community that already exists in the outdoors,” Labistour wrote. “Outside is for everyone. It’s time we acted like it.”
With a report from CTV Calgary’s Brad MacLeod
