Women Have A Very “Hostile Relationship With Advertising” Says Australia’s Top Female Creative
It’s that ongoing debate that again reared its ugly head last week and, yep, it’s the dearth of female creatives among Aussie agencies. But for one of Australia’s most lauded female ECDs – Justine Armour (pictured above) – the problem’s arguably the ads themselves which for too long have been a turn-off and can often appear “hostile” to women; meaning it’s simply an industry many baulk at working in.
Armour worked as a creative for some of Australia’s top agencies in the early 2000s, including stints at McCann, Clemms, Saatchi & Saatchi and Mojo. In 2011 she shifted to the States and landed a gig at Weiden + Kennedy (widely regarded as the best agency on the planet) before moving to her current role – group creative director at New York’s 72 And Sunny.
Armour admitted she was one of the few female creatives during her decade-plus stint at the Aussie agencies but revealed to B&T her experience was primarily positive.
“I never really got asked about this until a couple of years ago, so I’ve only recently started to analyse what those years were like,” Armour revealed when questioned about being a female among the bucks.
“There were some creepy things that happened, sure, but nothing that defined my experience. If I was to make one sweeping generalisation I’d say it was a ‘boys’ club’; it was very social, and there was a lot of drinking. The pub was where the relationships that got you onto good briefs were formed, and getting good briefs meant doing good work which meant having a better time overall. So I was at the pub a lot!”
Armour, too, is quick to add that she doesn’t want to appear some sort of flag-bearer for female creatives. “I’m only talking about this because you asked me,” she’s quick to reiterate to B&T. “Most of the women I know (in the industry) are ‘cool girls’ (you can read about ‘cool girls’ here). They pride themselves on being able to hang with whoever, which can be a double-edged sword, but that’s how it works. The girls (female creatives) I know would rather talk about ideas and cool shit than focus on this.”
One of Australia’s top ECDs recently told B&T (anonymously, of course) that he reckoned adland took the hit for the gender debate when a host of other creative industries – architecture, music and scriptwriting, as examples – were equally male dominated but sans the blowtorch given to agency land. Interestingly, he added: “When the redundancies came it was always the blokes that got sacked because the agency was desperate to hang on to any female talent it had.”
But for Armour, having women creatives isn’t “an obligation, it’s a massive opportunity”.
She added: “Women are more nuanced communicators, their brains are wired and work differently, and they have a different, often hostile relationship with advertising because of the way it has treated them in the past.
“Women make 85 per cent of purchase decisions, so your clients’ consumers are women. So if you want to be really insightful and truly effective, women should be involved in creating the work that encourages women to consider your product.”
So what are the solutions to a problem, it must be said, has been ongoing for years and doesn’t appear to being showing any signs of marked improvement? For starters, Armour would like to see less talk and more female-positive policies by agencies.
There needs to be more women in senior roles so the new recruits feel they have a future in the industry, Armour said. The industry, she added, had no problems attracting females out of the universities and colleges but had enormous issues retaining them once kids arrived and other, more family-friendly careers, start to look more appealing.
Agency land’s 24/7, “always on” culture is also a massive dissuader to women, particularly those with young kids at home. “We have to create conditions where mums can compete,” Armour said. “If your clients have women’s brands and want women’s thinking, enlist their support in getting women on their business.
“Build air into your deadlines, make the process work around these women. My agency offers six months’ paid maternity leave. My previous agency offered four months’ paid leave and covered travel for carers when breastfeeding mothers needed to travel for work.
“Many agencies (in the US) also have dedicated breastfeeding/pumping rooms in the office. France has a ban on work email on weekends, after 6pm and before 9am. Those are conditions where mums can make it work. I would put policies like those in place, and let women know they can negotiate with you case-by-case so that you can find a way that works for everyone.”
Finally, should it be the clients that enact the change? Should they simply demand to see more work by more female creatives? “Sure. If they’re not asking for it, it won’t be a priority. Any client creating products for women is missing out if they don’t have insightful creative women on their business,” Armour concluded.
Please login with linkedin to comment
72 And Sunny Advertising Standards Bureau Dentsu Aegis Justine Armour seven year switch World CupLatest News
The Mars Agency Announces Latest Findings Of Retail Media Report Card
The Mars Agency has developed a scorecard that assesses the capabilities of leading platforms across key criteria required to optimally plan, execute, and measure effective retail media programs. The scorecard aims To help brands efficiently evaluate their spending options across retail media networks in Australia (and New Zealand). With spending on retail media advertising in […]
‘It’s The Lesser Of Two Evils’ – NRL Eyes US Betting Market As Aussie Regulators Circle
US betting firms will be delighted by the circa 50,000 Americans who could soon watch the NRL on their favourite app.
A-League In Deep Discussions With New Partner To Keep Games On TV After Production Company Enters Administration
The A-League's insatiable appetite for scoring own goals continues.
TV Ratings (27/03/2024): Jungle Members At War Over Concealed Lipstick
A heated argument between two jungle members did the numbers for Ten last night, with I’m A Celeb obtaining a total national reach of 1,282,000. Fans were delighted as Candice Warner and influencer Skye Wheatley got into it over a stick of lipstick, leading Warner to dub the Instagram star “selfish.” Wheatley, best known for […]
Is The Australian Music Industry In Trouble? Inquiry Launched Following Splendour Cancellation
Earlier this week, an inquiry was launched into the challenges and opportunities currently facing the Australian live music industry in the wake of multiple festival cancellations. On 25 March 2024, the Minister for the Arts, the Hon. Tony Burke MP, asked the Committee on Communications and the Arts to inquire into and report on the […]
Liana Dubois, Leandro Perez, Aimee Buchanan & More Gather For Inaugural Compadres Leadership Event
Didn't get the invite? Perhaps you're not as important as you thought.
Cathay Captures The Unforgettable Thrill Of Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Rugby Sevens, Via Publicis
Nobody does rugby like Hong Kong, apparently. Certainly nobody does it as badly as Australia.
Cocogun Nabs Christine Watts, Kirsty Reynolds & Shev Tan Bolstering Management & Creative Teams
Cocogun bolsters its team with new hires. Committed to purchasing a bigger sofa, too.
The Media Store’s Jacquie Alley & Sam Cousins Take The Plunge With Pro-Bono Work For Cure Cancer
B&T chats with The Media Store bosses about their great pro-bono work and sponsored swim.
Hawke’s Brewing Co. Taps Rocket Comms For PR Agency Following Competitive Pitch
We're expecting Rocket Comms productivity to crash in spectacular fashion following this win.
Spotlight On Sponsors: Patties Serves Up A Taste Of Home For Olympians & South Sydney Rabbitohs Recommit To Gambling Reform
While the Rabbitohs commits to gambling reform, B&T reckons the team should commit to a decent auto sponsor.
Google: “Inevitable” That Bad Actors Will Abuse Ads Platform As Advertiser Account Suspensions Double
Google maintains it's simply impossible for it to entirely stop bad people placing & paying for ads using its service.
Quantcast Expands APAC Sales Team With Appointment Of News Corp Account Manager
No pressure at all when you are appointed as a client success manager.
Publicis Sapient Tests Microsoft-Powered Gen AI Search Tool With Homes & Villas By Marriott Bonvoy
Given Gen AI's record for mangling stuff, B&T cannot see the problem with letting it decide your next holiday digs.
Volkswagen & DDB Group’s “Roo Badge” To Reduce Kangaroo Related Road Collisions
Watch out for RooBadge as Cannes Lions' most debated campaign this year.
Twilio Launches Unified Profiles & Agent Copilot Features To Boost Productivity & Engagement
Agent Copilot sounds like James Bond's less interesting cousin.
Reebok & Honda Among New Clients For onetwo agency
OneTwo finally lives up to its name with this double billing.
Ogilvy Report: Throw Out The Social Strategy Rule Book, The Rules Of The Past No Longer Apply
B&T was puzzled that all 'influencers' aren't, effectively, 'virtual', but here we are.
WhiteGREY & AKQA Merge In Australia, Lee Simpson Departs
Fortunately, the combined agencies aren't opting for a trite portmanteau for the new name.
Splendour In The Grass 2024 Music Festival Cancelled!
Music fans all over the country reportedly relieved they can pack away their rain coats and gumboots for another year.
TV Ratings (26/03/2024): “Fairy Bread, F***ing Disgusting”: Gordon Ramsay Slams Aussie Food In Food Stars Launch
Ramsay not one for mincing his words, even when it comes to minced meat pies.
Paramount+ International Boss Doubles Down On Aussie Content, Says Ad-Tier will Grow Audiences And Revenue
Good news as Paramount will not be binning I’m A Celebrity for re-runs of Frasier.
Brent Smart: Telstra Pushing For 50-50 Brand-Performance Split But Warns Numbers ‘Won’t Look Great’ Initially
The old brand vs performance debate continues. But here, Brent is firmly sitting on the fence.
Crowded House, Tones And I & Dom Dolla Win Big At The Shure Rolling Stone Music Awards
B&T staffer reports back with humdinger of a hangover & feeling seriously uncool after mixing with music types.
Opinion: Dyslexia “A Hidden Gem” For Brands & Agencies
Dyslexics offer underappreciated benefits in the corporate field, according to this op-ed.
David Jones Taps Criteo To Power Online Retail Media Arm
Want to see ads for things you probably can't afford? David Jones has got you covered with new retail media play.
oOh!media Sets Up Team To Target Business Audiences Across Airports & Offices
oOh! wants brands to harass you every minute of your next business trip.
QMS Launches Australian First DOOH & TV Partnership With Samba TV
Samba TV, of course, is not a channel dedicated to dancing. Much to our dismany.
Slew Of New Hires At Amplify
Four new faces join the Amplify offices. Team say desk scarcity becoming "acute".
Adobe Announces Content Authenticity Initiative Expansions To Counter Deep Fakes
Try as they might to enlighten them, we suspect Trump supporters will continue to watch and believe Fox News.
The PR Group Appoints TechCrunch Senior Reporter Catherine Shu As Director Of Content & Media
Catherine Shu makes the bold leap from journalism to PR. Says inevitable pay bump was "unrelated".
HERO Nabs Ebony Santin From AMPR
Rumours Santin cleared out the stationery cupboard before departing are as yet unconfirmed.
Karena Noble Checks Out Of EVT Hotels & Resorts To Launch Comms Consultancy
Noble still managed to squeezed in a continental breakfast before departing.
Canva Acquires Design Platform Affinity To Bring Professional Design Tools To Every Organisation
Canva & Adobe face off continues. We're not picking sides but keenly aware that Canva's office is next door to ours.
“Lean On Our Team To Help You Find An Audience”: Why Understanding Audience Engagement Is Essential In Journalism
Engaging the audience is critical to journos, apparently. We'd thought self-loathing & alcoholism were key.
Adobe Summit: Major Gen AI Developments, Data Concessions & Partnerships
What happens in Vegas stays there. Unless it's the Adobe Summit and then you get to read about in B&T.