Cindy Gallop on gender ratios in ad agencies
The advertising guru speaks at the 3% Conference about excuses advertising agencies use when they don't hire women.
PT0M51S 620 349There was something a little too uniform about Leo Burnett's latest hires, and it wasn't the stressed denim and casual footwear.
The international creative firm's new all-white, male line-up has copped a barrage of criticism after prominent British equality campaigner and advertising heavyweight Cindy Gallop called out its lack of diversity.
"It's 2015 … what the f--- are u thinking?" Gallop posted to Twitter, accompanied by a photograph of five new male senior creatives with creative directors Malcolm Caldwell and Ian Broekhuizen in various states of casual cool.
The photograph that started it all: Leo Burnett shows off its new hires. Photo: Leo Burnett
Leo Burnett Australia - whose non-executive chairman is television personality Todd Sampson, of the ABC's Gruen and director of Fairfax Media, publisher of this website - was the first Australian agency to rank in the top 10 most creative companies worldwide, according to its website.
Ms Gallop tweeted four stinging rebukes in quick succession following Leo Burnett's announcement of the new hires in a press release on Tuesday.
".@leoburnett hires 5 white guy creatives … The comments give them hell," Ms Gallop tweeted, referring to online comments responding to the release published on Mumbrella.
Activist, advertising guru, branding specialist Cindy Gallop. Photo: ioulex
"When will agencies learn that promoting the fact they've hired five men for five senior creative roles is not a good look to PR," one Mumbrella reader commented.
"Nice to see white men FINALLY getting opportunities. Given men make up only 97 per cent of CDs [creative directors] this is a bold move from Leo," another posted.
A third commenter posted the full lyrics to the Flight of the Conchords song Too Many Dicks (on the Dance Floor).
"@leoburnettsyd isn't an anomaly - it's the norm & that's what has got people so riled up" Must-read @rkbake @adnews https://t.co/sJZDvsRTpp
— Cindy Gallop (@cindygallop) November 11, 2015
Ms Gallop ended her tweets with a link to a YouTube clip of her keynote address at the Three Percent conference earlier this year.
"If you couldn't find any, you don't really want any," she said in her address.
Her criticism comes one week after Canada's new Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded to a reporter's question regarding his half-female cabinet in the same fashion.
"Because it's 2015," Mr Trudeau said to cheers and applause.
The Leo Burnett photograph would not be out of place on the infamous Tumblr blog "Too Many Guys, One Girl", which collects images of male-dominated company employees in an attempt to highlight the gender imbalance in the modern workplace.
The candid and professional photographs on the Tumblr blog feature all-male line-ups with the occasional lone woman among multiple men.
Women make up just 13.5 per cent of senior creatives in Australia, according to The Communications Council's latest salary survey.
The 2013 review of 115 agencies found a little over one-quarter (27.9 per cent) of all positions in creative departments were held by women.
Leo Burnett has been contacted for comment.
