Global tech company XR Extreme Reach launches first representation index report – unveiling the global landscape of inclusive advertising

XR Extreme Reach, a global technology company, has today announced the global outlook of representation in advertising, measuring inclusivity in more than one million ads across over 100 countries. The 2024 Global Advertising Representation Report provides the first scaled AI market analysis, revealing an average representation score of 32 out of 100 worldwide. Findings point to significant gaps in inclusivity and opportunities to improve representation to maximise ad impact and drive business growth.

The new report leverages the Representation Index (RX), introduced earlier this year by XR and The Female Quotient. As the industry’s first technology-driven metric for inclusivity measurement, RX sets itself apart with cutting-edge AI global scale and its ability to measure representation across multiple dimensions beyond gender: age, body type, skin tone, gender expression, and soon authority and accessibility. The RX Score measures the diversity of each ad on a scale from 0 to 100, with higher scores reflecting a broader range of representation.

Notable findings include:

• The 2024 global average RX score is trending at 32, peaking as high as 42 for Charity/Non-profit and as low as 28 for Sports.
• 70% of countries analyzed are trending above the global average
• 12% of talent detected in ads have dark skin tones
• 44% of faces detected have feminine gender expression, compared to 56% masculine—demonstrating a missed opportunity given that women account for 85% of household spending
• 15% of screen time features people with larger body types
• RX score for the Super Bowl 2024 was 41, 28% higher than the global average

APAC findings include:

• APAC markets outperform the global average in gender expression, but none have reached gender parity. Japan leads with a score of 48, the highest in the region.
• The skin tone score is low globally at 25, but APAC markets generally exceed this average—with Australia as a notable exception.
• Ads in APAC continue to overrepresent younger talent, with limited inclusion of older demographics.

Says Shelley Zalis, Founder and CEO of The Female Quotient: “RX is not only a metric; it’s a prescription for inclusive measurement that is helping to drive meaningful and measurable change across industries. Media shapes how we see ourselves and others and by adopting this new metric (RX), brands don’t just close representation gaps—they lead the charge in shaping a more inclusive and profitable future.”

The XR platform has already scored more than three million assets. Brands globally can use RX to audit their advertising and media content, identify representation gaps, track progress, and ensure their campaigns authentically reflect their audiences.

Says Jo Kinsella, Global President and Chief Operating Officer at XR: “RX is the industry-wide metric that provides brands with a standard for measuring inclusivity in content, driving growth by building loyalty, trust, equity, engagement, and sales. Gaps in inclusivity remain significant, but they are solvable with RX. We are proud to partner with brands worldwide to help them authentically reflect the audiences they serve.”

XR is making RX available to all customers. To learn how you can unlock your RX score, visit: https://www.xr.global/rx-score.

The 2024 Global Advertising Representation Report is available to download here.