ABSTRACT

While much light is shone on issues when women are unable to achieve leadership positions in advertising, less attention is afforded to examining the paths of those women who were able to be successful when the odds were against them. This study dives deep into the experiences of one woman who was named Executive Creative Director at one of the leading independent full-service agencies in the lower US Midwest at the age of 33, promoted to Chief Creative Officer at age 36, all while married and a mother to two young children. When more than 70% of advertising’s creative leaders are male, this swift travel along a professional path that is historically tough for women warranted an exploration of her experiences and relationships. Power, feminism and support systems were found to be in play across the findings. Encouragement from women throughout her life helped provide the confidence needed; a commitment to maintaining a strong marriage and a healthy work-life balance were identified as having the biggest impact on her success. This study’s influence reaches from strategic communication curriculum in higher education all the way to industry leaders, working to close advertising’s creative gender gap through education and awareness.

摘要

当女性无法在广告中担任领导职位时，人们对这些问题的关注度很高，而对于那些在机会不利时能够成功的女性的路径却很少关注。这项研究深入探讨了一位女性的经历，她在 33 岁时被任命为美国中西部地区领先的独立全方位服务机构之一的执行创意总监，并在 36 岁时晋升为首席创意官，所有这些都在结婚和两个年幼孩子的母亲。当超过 70% 的广告创意领导者是男性时，这种沿着历史上对女性来说非常艰难的职业道路的快速旅行值得探索她的经历和人际关系。权力、女权主义和支持系统被发现在整个调查结果中发挥作用。女性一生的鼓励有助于提供所需的信心；致力于维持牢固的婚姻和健康的工作与生活平衡被认为对她的成功影响最大。这项研究的影响力从高等教育的战略传播课程一直延伸到行业领导者，致力于通过教育和意识缩小广告的创造性性别差距。