Why women are still coming last in the
creative awards race
- EACA, NORD DDB, TBWA and ACT Responsible partner up to
launch 'Creative Equality in Advertising 2024'
- Report reveals that women are still only winning 24% of the
top metal across Europe's major
awards
CANNES,
France, June 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Women are
winning less than a quarter of Europe's top awards accolades according to a
new report. 'Creative Equality in Advertising 2024'
highlights the persistent issue of gender inequality in the
advertising industry, revealing a 3:1 ratio of men in the most
highly-decorated teams.
Led by the EACA (European Association of Communications
Agencies) DE&I Taskforce alongside NORD DDB, TBWA and ACT
Responsible, the report shows that only 24% of the Golds and Grand
Prix at European awards between 2019 and today, have been won by
women - despite women making up over 40% of executive boards
globally.
The research compiled winners from sixteen European countries,
pinpointing the most creative award show in each country, as well
as some pan-European and global awards such as Eurobest and Cannes
Lions. It found that over the past five years (2019 – 2023), the
distribution of winners in each country's top creative competitions
reveals a stark gender imbalance.
The best performing country was Greece with 42% of the Gold and Grand Prix
awards available going to female creatives, with the next
best-performing countries Finland
(32%) and Sweden (30%). The
worst-performing in Europe were
France and Poland on just 12% and Ireland and Belgium close on their heels with just 14% of
their top awards going to creative teams that included women.
During this year's Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity Open
House for Good - a 2 hour window where Le
Palais des Festivals is open to the public - ACT Responsible
will be hosting a conversation with leading creative thinkers and
marketers to discuss the report's findings. Moderated by
Seth Matlins, Forbes' CMO Network
Managing Director, the conversation will include DDB's President
and Global CCO, Chaka Sobhani and
Kate Cronin, Moderna's Global CMO,
among others. The group will explore how awards advance the
careers of leading creatives and address why representation isn't
improving fast enough.
The long-standing issue of women leaving the advertising
industry underscores the need to address this trend and explore
methods for enhancing the development and growth of women's
creative careers. The 2023 Global DEI Census highlighted the trend
with one in six female global marketing industry members reporting
considering leaving due to DEI shortcomings. In its recent 'She's a
Keeper' Playbook, the EACA found that only 11% of female
advertising practitioners manage to reach senior positions in
creative roles.
As a result, Creative Equality in Advertising 2024,
focuses on the impact of awards on the professional growth of
creatives; providing recognition and validation, motivation, career
advancement, increased visibility for both creatives and their
agency, and improved client relationships at the top. It also asks
industry experts for their advice on what will unlock progress for
female creatives.
CEO and founder of Creative Equals Ali Hanan states, "When I
founded Creative Equals in 2014, only 12% of Creative Directors
were women. In fact, at that time, there were more men called Dave
than women on the juries of our top awards, so as shocking as these
might appear to many, these numbers still represent decades of
progress. The next step change is systemic."
This is backed by Pascale Nader,
Creative Strategist and Lecturer at HU University of Applied Sciences, Utrecht; "The award is the final product, the
tip of the iceberg, but the entire process needs attention. I
acknowledge that changes are happening, but worry that they are
sometimes merely superficial. Everyone talks about DEI but the root
causes still need to be addressed. Change will happen."
To read the top tips from the experts, explore the report
here.
About The European Association of Communications Agencies
(EACA)
EACA represents more than 2500 communications
agencies and agency associations from nearly 30 European countries
which directly employ more than 120.000 people working in
advertising, media, digital, branding and PR agencies. EACA
promotes honest, effective advertising, high professional
standards, and awareness of the contribution of advertising in a
free-market economy, encouraging close co-operation between
agencies, advertisers and media in European advertising bodies.
EACA works closely with EU institutions to ensure freedom to
advertise responsibly and creatively.
About ACT Responsible
Advertising Community Together
(ACT) Responsible is an international non-profit organization
dedicated to showcasing the vital role and responsibility of the
advertising industry in promoting social and environmental
awareness while prioritizing sustainability. We bring together
leaders who harness the power of creativity to drive positive
change, believing that advertising should always be a force for
good. We curate the finest creative campaigns from around the
world addressing social and environmental issues. Each year, we
create a unique annual collection that we showcase, promote,
discuss, celebrate, and rank, aiming to stimulate production,
foster conversations, and share best practices. Through
exhibitions, events, workshops, public voting, and awards, we seek
to inspire positive change by demonstrating how advertising
communication can be a powerful tool for social and environmental
advocacy. Join us on Linkedin, Instagram and Facebook.
About TBWAWorldwide
TBWA is The Disruption
Company®. We are a Collective of creative minds with an
unlimited creative canvas. We create brand platforms that defy
convention and compete with culture. Thanks to our trademarked
Disruption® methodology, we build the world's strongest
brands. Brands that own an unfair share of the future. Named
one of the World's Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company
in 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020 and 2019, TBWA is also Adweek's
2022, 2021 and 2018 Global Agency of the Year and
AdAge's A-List 2022 Network of the Year. Our
Collective has 11,000+ creative minds in over 40 countries, and
also includes brands such as Auditoire, Digital Arts Network (DAN),
eg+ worldwide, GMR, TBWAMedia Arts Lab, TBWAHealth Collective and
TRO. Global clients include adidas, Apple, Gatorade, Henkel, Hilton
Hotels, McDonald's, Nissan and Singapore Airlines. Follow us on
LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram. TBWA is part of
Omnicom Group (NYSE: OMC).
About NORD DDB
NORD DDB is a leading Nordic
communications agency focusing on breaking brands into pop culture.
We are an integrated Nordic agency with 350+ professionals with one
P&L across all markets and offices in Helsinki, Oslo, Copenhagen and Stockholm. 2023 NORD DDB was ranked as the
most creative agency in the Nordic by Indikat and the most
effective agency in Sweden and
Finland by the Effie Index. NORD
DDB has a presence in all geographical markets through the DDB
Global network. NORD DDB leads +40 clients with global and local
footprint e.g., Vattenfall, McDonald's, Telenor, Volkswagen and
Swedish Armed Forces. Follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram. NORD DDB
is part of Omnicom Group (NYSE: OMC).
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SOURCE TBWAWorldwide