Ikea used a gay male couple to represent the diversity of modern family life in a recent campaign

Advertisers are so worried about being accused of racism or homophobia they are shying away from using images of white people and straight couples.

Marketing departments are even putting diversity above relevance to their target audience to avoid accusations of bigotry, a survey of 500 companies has found.

A third of advertisers questioned said they had used fewer white models and heterosexual couples over the past year. More than a third of these said they were taking this approach to “prevent perceived discrimination”.

The findings are likely to trigger accusations of political correctness but show a marked change in attitudes in the advertising industry, which has until recently had a reputation for under-representing ethnic minorities.

Brands that have featured gay couples include Lloyds, which ran