VCCP's ACD: The Glass Lion is More Important Than Ever

The Glass Lion category aims to reward work that addresses issues of gender inequality or prejudice. How important is the role of advertising in addressing gender issues across the globe?

Advertising has a huge role in addressing gender issues across the globe as it populates and influences culture immensely. So how men, women, boys and girls are portrayed can either reinforce gender stereotypes, or break them down. Everyone working in the industry needs to realise the responsibility we have to ensure that we do the latter.

We need to use the power of our craft to effect change and make people realise everyone should have the same opportunities, choices and aspirations regardless of gender. I like to think our #FiercelyFeminine campaign (below) we created for Liverpool Ladies FC did this. They had just announced Avon as their kit sponsor and many of the players told us they’d been shamed for wearing make-up whilst playing. So we wanted to promote the idea that you can be a hardcore sportswoman and enjoy being feminine – the two aren’t mutually exclusive.

Avon: Who says women can’t be fierce and feminine

What, for you, makes a campaign Glass Lion-worthy and are there any pieces of work from the last 12 months that have impressed you in particular?

I believe a Glass Lion-worthy campaign is one that has proven to be effective in changing behaviour and attitudes. Has it actually got people to check themselves and realise they need to think and act differently? It’s also important that the social cause that the campaign is championing really fits with the brand and its values. Do they have a right to play in that space? The brand shouldn’t be using it for their own agenda just because it feels on-trend. It needs to be a genuine investment in the cause, not just an interest in the profit that the campaign can generate.

Bodyform’s #BloodNormal (below) is one of the campaigns that has stood out the most to me in the last 12 months. It really shocked the world and got people to think twice about the way they think of periods. But the irony is we shouldn’t be shocked by such a natural bodily function. I’ve worked on plenty of femcare brands and I can’t believe it’s taken till 2017 to get rid of the weird blue liquid demo.

What do you think the jury will be looking for in this category?

I think they’ll be looking for work that feels authentic, relevant to the brand and has effected social change, rather than just kept the conversation going without any action. The work will need to have made a clear tangible impact on society. It’s all about storydoing, not storytelling.

There’s an argument that until the problem of female under-representation in the industry – particularly in the top creative echelons of agencies – is resolved, adverts will never be truly gender neutral. Do you agree?

I think there is truth to that. Women are notoriously under-represented at CD level and as a result female creative insight is also under-represented. Agencies should seek to improve this balance carefully though. It has to be through meritocracy, rather than quotas. But it’s not just women who can help ads become more gender neutral. I know plenty of male creatives who feel passionate about wanting to challenge female stereotypes, too. They can create great femcare/shampoo ads, just as female creatives can make beer or sports spots. I actually think the young female and male creatives coming up will help achieve gender neutrality as they don’t have the stereotypes ingrained in them.

Last year saw cases of sexual misconduct coming to light in various industries, and the launch of advertising’s own Time’s Up movement – what else do you think can be done to help empower female creatives?

Our #TogetherWeTriumph campaign (below) is all about collective female empowerment and I’m a big believer in the idea that empowered women empower women. I’ve worked in the industry for over 14 years and now have the opportunity to give other female creatives the break they need to get into advertising. Giving them placements and the chance to prove themselves, whilst nurturing their confidence, are just some of the ways we can help them progress in their careers. We’ve created a 50/50 gender balance in VCCP Kin’s creative department and it’s something we’re really proud of. Another way the industry could help female creatives rise through the ranks could be an initiative similar to Free the Bid – agencies should pledge to always invite at least one female team to interview when looking to fill a position.

Previous Glass Lions have awarded work addressing inequality (Touch The Pickle; #ShareTheLoad), transgender issues (The 6 Pack Band) and non-traditional formats (State Street Global Advisors; Fearless Girl). How do you see the category developing?

In the past, much of the awarded work has been to do with female equality or transgender issues. But the Glass Lion is all about gender equality as a whole. So this year I think (and hope) the jury will also be looking to celebrate work that seeks to challenge the gender stereotypes and problems that men face – the issues that aren’t necessarily talked about, or swept under the carpet. For example there may be a campaign highlighting domestic violence against men, or mental health issues in young men. These are all gender issues that the Glass Lion can help bring to light.

Above: Last year's Cannes Lions Glass Lions Grand Prix, Fearless Girl for State Stret Global Advisors

What is the most exciting thing about working in advertising at the moment?

For me it’s the fact that there really is the opportunity to do good in so many ways that aren’t simply a TV ad or print campaign. From the much lauded Ice Bucket Challenge and Vodafone’s lifeguard drones, to Amnesty’s living glass box on the Southbank, as creatives we really have a chance to use social, digital, experiential and ambient mediums in amazing ways to benefit society and make a real difference, instead of simply making a profit.

What’s been your favourite campaign in any category from the past 12 months?

I absolutely adored the Pedigree Child Replacement Programme, encouraging empty nesters to replace their grown up child with a rescue dog. It comes from such a human truth that parents need a substitute to love and was executed in such a humorous way. And it worked because it found that perfect match of dogs that need homes and homes that need dogs.