Time Out has joined forces with Google to support black-owned businesses ahead of Black Pound Day with a campaign across print, digital, and social.

The campaign, which is part of Time Out’s ‘Love Local’ campaign, will launch tomorrow (3 November) with a special Time Out London magazine featuring only black businesses, restaurants, and contributors, including guest editor Ashley Walters, TV personality June Sarpong, British historian David Olusoga, comedian Munya Chawawa, Labour MP David Lammy, 12:51 chef James Cochran, and the creator of Black Pound Day, Swiss.

Through its partnership with Black Pound Day, which is this Saturday (7 November), Google is entirely responsible for the advertising in the special edition magazine and has donated 80 per cent of that ad space to black-owned businesses.

“Time Out is all about celebrating inclusion and diversity, and this partnership with Google showcases how brand collaboration is crucial to shedding light on marginalised or minority causes and voices,” said Wayne Mensah, Director of Creative Solutions at Time Out London. “We are thrilled to collaborate with Google to spotlight and amplify local Black-owned businesses in our community and celebrate the first time a brand has ever bought and donated ad space within our magazine to help businesses thrive during this time.”

Google will also debut an online hub on the homepage and navbar of the Time Out London website, which will feature articles championing black-owned businesses, while Google reviews will be integrated into Time Out content.

“We are proud to work with Time Out London and Ashley Walters to bring this extraordinary campaign to life and celebrate Black Pound Day, which encourages consumers to shop at Black-owned businesses,” said Nishma Robb, Director of Brand, Reputation and Ads Marketing at Google. “Black-owned independent businesses have suffered greatly this year because of the coronavirus and we wanted to support them by dedicating this issue to the amazing, creative Black community in the city.”

Alongside the magazine and Google’s involvement, a series of Instagram Stories will be released to spotlight black-owned businesses and encourage people to shop locally at these stores on Black Pound Day, which is this Saturday (7 November). Time Out London’s guest editor Ashley Walters will also take over the magazine’s Instagram for the day.

“It was an honour to work with Time Out London and Google to bring this important edition together,” said Walters. “I am proud to support Black Pound Day, founded by my So Solid crewmate Swiss and shed light on the incredible Black-owned businesses in our multicultural city. Whether you’re Black or a non-Black Londoner, we all have a duty to ‘wake up and understand that we’ve got to help each other to climb up the ladder’.”