CANNES LIONS' OPEN HOUSE FOR GOOD 2024

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Jun 17, 2024, 12:15 ET

Why women are still coming last in the creative awards race

EACA, NORD DDB, TBWA and ACT Responsible partner up to launch 'Creative Equality in Advertising 2024'
Report reveals that women are still only winning 24% of the top metal across Europe's major awards

CANNES, France, June 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Women are winning less than a quarter of Europe's top awards accolades according to a new report. 'Creative Equality in Advertising 2024' highlights the persistent issue of gender inequality in the advertising industry, revealing a 3:1 ratio of men in the most highly-decorated teams.

Led by the EACA (European Association of Communications Agencies) DE&I Taskforce alongside NORD DDB, TBWA and ACT Responsible, the report shows that only 24% of the Golds and Grand Prix at European awards between 2019 and today, have been won by women - despite women making up over 40% of executive boards globally.

The research compiled winners from sixteen European countries, pinpointing the most creative award show in each country, as well as some pan-European and global awards such as Eurobest and Cannes Lions. It found that over the past five years (2019 – 2023), the distribution of winners in each country's top creative competitions reveals a stark gender imbalance.

The best performing country was Greece with 42% of the Gold and Grand Prix awards available going to female creatives, with the next best-performing countries Finland (32%) and Sweden (30%). The worst-performing in Europe were France and Poland on just 12% and Ireland and Belgium close on their heels with just 14% of their top awards going to creative teams that included women.

During this year's Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity Open House for Good - a 2 hour window where Le Palais des Festivals is open to the public - ACT Responsible will be hosting a conversation with leading creative thinkers and marketers to discuss the report's findings. Moderated by Seth Matlins, Forbes' CMO Network Managing Director, the conversation will include DDB's President and Global CCO, Chaka Sobhani and Kate Cronin, Moderna's Global CMO, among others. The group will explore how awards advance the careers of leading creatives and address why representation isn't improving fast enough.

The long-standing issue of women leaving the advertising industry underscores the need to address this trend and explore methods for enhancing the development and growth of women's creative careers. The 2023 Global DEI Census highlighted the trend with one in six female global marketing industry members reporting considering leaving due to DEI shortcomings. In its recent 'She's a Keeper' Playbook, the EACA found that only 11% of female advertising practitioners manage to reach senior positions in creative roles.

As a result, Creative Equality in Advertising 2024, focuses on the impact of awards on the professional growth of creatives; providing recognition and validation, motivation, career advancement, increased visibility for both creatives and their agency, and improved client relationships at the top. It also asks industry experts for their advice on what will unlock progress for female creatives.

CEO and founder of Creative Equals Ali Hanan states, "When I founded Creative Equals in 2014, only 12% of Creative Directors were women. In fact, at that time, there were more men called Dave than women on the juries of our top awards, so as shocking as these might appear to many, these numbers still represent decades of progress. The next step change is systemic."

This is backed by Pascale Nader, Creative Strategist and Lecturer at HU University of Applied Sciences, Utrecht; "The award is the final product, the tip of the iceberg, but the entire process needs attention. I acknowledge that changes are happening, but worry that they are sometimes merely superficial. Everyone talks about DEI but the root causes still need to be addressed. Change will happen."

To read the top tips from the experts, explore the report here.

About The European Association of Communications Agencies (EACA)
EACA represents more than 2500 communications agencies and agency associations from nearly 30 European countries which directly employ more than 120.000 people working in advertising, media, digital, branding and PR agencies. EACA promotes honest, effective advertising, high professional standards, and awareness of the contribution of advertising in a free-market economy, encouraging close co-operation between agencies, advertisers and media in European advertising bodies. EACA works closely with EU institutions to ensure freedom to advertise responsibly and creatively.

About ACT Responsible
Advertising Community Together (ACT) Responsible is an international non-profit organization dedicated to showcasing the vital role and responsibility of the advertising industry in promoting social and environmental awareness while prioritizing sustainability. We bring together leaders who harness the power of creativity to drive positive change, believing that advertising should always be a force for good. We curate the finest creative campaigns from around the world addressing social and environmental issues. Each year, we create a unique annual collection that we showcase, promote, discuss, celebrate, and rank, aiming to stimulate production, foster conversations, and share best practices. Through exhibitions, events, workshops, public voting, and awards, we seek to inspire positive change by demonstrating how advertising communication can be a powerful tool for social and environmental advocacy. Join us on Linkedin, Instagram and Facebook.

About TBWA\Worldwide
TBWA is The Disruption Company^®. We are a Collective of creative minds with an unlimited creative canvas. We create brand platforms that defy convention and compete with culture. Thanks to our trademarked Disruption^® methodology, we build the world's strongest brands. Brands that own an unfair share of the future. Named one of the World's Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company in 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020 and 2019, TBWA is also Adweek's 2022, 2021 and 2018 Global Agency of the Year and AdAge's A-List 2022 Network of the Year. Our Collective has 11,000+ creative minds in over 40 countries, and also includes brands such as Auditoire, Digital Arts Network (DAN), eg+ worldwide, GMR, TBWA\Media Arts Lab, TBWA\Health Collective and TRO. Global clients include adidas, Apple, Gatorade, Henkel, Hilton Hotels, McDonald's, Nissan and Singapore Airlines. Follow us on LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram. TBWA is part of Omnicom Group (NYSE: OMC).

About NORD DDB
NORD DDB is a leading Nordic communications agency focusing on breaking brands into pop culture. We are an integrated Nordic agency with 350+ professionals with one P&L across all markets and offices in Helsinki, Oslo, Copenhagen and Stockholm. 2023 NORD DDB was ranked as the most creative agency in the Nordic by Indikat and the most effective agency in Sweden and Finland by the Effie Index. NORD DDB has a presence in all geographical markets through the DDB Global network. NORD DDB leads +40 clients with global and local footprint e.g., Vattenfall, McDonald's, Telenor, Volkswagen and Swedish Armed Forces. Follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram. NORD DDB is part of Omnicom Group (NYSE: OMC).

SOURCE TBWA\Worldwide