sidlee

When Sid Lee was founded over 30 years ago, our common objective was to do anything we possibly could to break boundaries. Back then, that meant dissolving the lines between countries, individuals, and disciplines.

In efforts to create this borderless organization, we aimed to foster a corporate culture based on collectivism that predicated WE before ME.

We felt this was important not only because it enabled us to collaborate better, but also because it was just the right thing to do. We simply did not want to conform to the social norms of our industry.

Fuelled by ambition and idealism, we said: fuck the status quo.

Now it’s 2023. Regretfully, the industry at large still contains a great deal of thinking that often prioritizes the ME over the WE.

The industry isn’t going to change overnight. But we can continue to evolve ourselves to trigger change; and in that respect, we’re doubling down on setting WE before ME as a central priority for our organization.

Today, with all the social and racial injustices that continue to foster exclusion and division, our WE imperative is more important than ever before. Our understanding of WE has grown from its original denotation of borderless—it now also means diverse and inclusive.

We at Sid Lee pledge to become a borderless community of heterogeneous people that is mindful of gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and all other identities. Our utmost priority is fostering a place where we all feel respected, protected, and celebrated for who we are. This is our pledge to our people and to the communities in which we exist, and we intend to work at it every single day.

This transformation is simply the right thing to do. It also enables us to better service our clients by aligning with modern values and create work that matters even more.

Becoming this better version of ourselves is an ongoing challenge, one that requires effort and commitment on everyone’s part. We strive to be methodical, intentional, and honest during this journey, even when it gets uncomfortable.

Sid Lee’s next chapter will be predicated on the following three pillars that will inform our behaviour. These foundations exist to ensure everyone is mobilized around our common goal of fostering a diverse and inclusive community.

A culture of inclusion
We will continue to adjust our culture to ensure that all voices are respected, and that anti-racism is practiced every day. By doing everything humanly possible to ensure that all voices are respected, we will ensure each member of the organization feels welcome and included. This is how we will prioritize WE over ME.

Recruiting for diversity
We have implemented equitable and inclusive hiring practices. We will continue to actively engage in the sourcing of diverse candidates, and ensure that our managers continue to make hiring decisions that are representative of the communities in which we do business.

Accountability
Everyone in our organization is responsible for committing to and abiding by our DE&I principles, especially our leaders. In the inevitable trial and error to come, we will not always succeed. But we will keep ourselves accountable when things do not go according to plan. Embracing these values, enabling change, and protecting our people is the responsibility of every single one of us at Sid Lee. We have to care for one another.

In addition to Sid Lee’s written policies and efforts, our everyday human interactions are shouldering this transformation.

WE is ALL

The Sid Lee creative community

Our DEI pledge is part of our commitment to social responsibility. Read more about it here.