If adland’s great at anything, it’s shining a light on the perceived injustices that plague [working in] it. One of which is ageism, with an industry perception that once someone eyes their 50th birthday they’re suddenly way too expensive and no longer of use.
To combat the problem, a group of anonymous American creatives have got together to form the Federation Against Ageism Towards Advertising Creatives (website: FAAAC.Me!) whose mission is to “speak the truth about ageism towards creative people in advertising, build awareness about the problem – especially among those considering it as a career – and work on solutions to remedy it.”
So aggrieved by his treatment as an older creative, FAAAC’s Kiran Koshy has used both his copywriting and filmmaking skills to highlight the problem of ageism in a short film that’s as funny as it is dark.
Everyone involved in the film donated their time, included the chief protagonist that is played by the actor Devin Bonnée.
Commenting on the project, Koshy said: “I’ve seen a lot of my incredibly talented friends be discarded by the industry in their prime, and I’ve seen how it’s affected their mental well-being and family life.” His comments reported on US trade site AdAge.
“Almost everyone in their 40s questions if they made the right choice in getting into the business and the industry has quite consciously promoted the myth that younger people are more creative because it lets them lower salaries and squeeze margins,” Koshy said.
Watch the video below:
