Creatable and Code Like a Girl’s ‘Losing Lena’ doco via Clemenger + Finch debuts on Facebook Watch
In a first for the Australian film industry, the Losing Lena documentary film has launched today on Facebook Watch and is now available to a global audience. This follows a series of successful screening events across Australia and the US.
The film and campaign, developed by Clemenger BBDO Sydney and FINCH for Creatable and Code Like a Girl, explores the secret hidden in every website and digital image we’ve ever seen – Lena.
Lena’s story began in 1972, when the Swedish model posed as the Miss November centrefold. The next year, her centrefold was chosen by some men at the University of Southern California (USC) as an ideal test image for the algorithms they were working on to turn physical photos into digital bits. This research laid the groundwork for what would later become the jpeg, an image standard that revolutionised our digital world.
Incredibly, 46 years on, Lena is still the most infamous test image in the world. She is symbolic of how women were left out, and pushed out, of the industry.
Losing Lena is a compelling documentary that questions the very tenets of the tech industry and leaves us pondering: Why wasn’t Lena retired years ago? It explores a thread that binds together so many similar challenges and biases women in tech have experienced around the world.
The film is available to view on Facebook Watch here, and more information about the campaign can be found at www.losinglena.com.
CLIENT: CREATABLE
CLIENT: CODE LIKE A GIRL
CREATIVE AGENCY: CLEMENGER BBDO SYDNEY
PRODUCTION COMPANY: FINCH
MEDIA PARTNER AND FILM DISTRIBUTION: FACEBOOK
DIGITAL AND BOT DEVELOPMENT: KAMBER
TECH PLATFORM: THE BOT PLATFORM
PR (AUSTRALIA): CLEMENGER PR
PR (USA): PORTER NOVELLI
SOUND DESIGN: WE LOVE JAM STUDIOS
17 Comments
Sorry this is bullshit. Scam at best.
I actually don’t understand what the issue is. I get Leena is probably upset she never received any money for the use of her pic, but Leena clearly states she is 200% happy with the pic.
She even has a clock on her mantle with the words ‘First lady of the Internet’ engraved on the plaque.
Leena’s pic cropped was used to create the JPEG…so what, it’s a great picture and Leena (a women) created history…well done lap it up.
Code like a girl. You’ve ironically been sweet talked into becoming someone’s scam ad.
Feminism jumped the shark.
Na, don’t be silly @i don’t get it and @soulless. Lena is used as a very interesting hook and thread, but you can’t fake real conversations about the challenges women in tech are facing in different countries around the world. One just has to look at the comments on Facebook to see how it’s actually affecting and resonating with people who are in that industry.
If you were to judge anything in the world by Facebook comments then things would come up looking pretty bleak.
I didn’t want to believe the above comments but unfortunately I had the same thoughts when I read the original post. Screams scam to me.
Shame.
Seems like a pathetic excuse to talk about the problem.
Sad disgruntled trolls definitely know better than all the female academics, journos, students and people in the STEM field shown in the doco who say it’s a problem.
An army of trolls (like the above) will follow wherever this is is published because it threatens male privilege. Any way you choose to talk about an issue like this is worthwhile in my opinion. Keep going, everyone deserves a more equal future.
Sure. A bunch of leading academics, journalist and women in the STEM field have all said it’s an issue but I’m sure you bitter advertising hacks know better.
I see a lot of similarities within our own industry. The truth hurts and the truth is that advertising (and STEM it seems) is a male dominated industry, where the rules have been set by men in the 70’s and 80’s and women today face an uphill battle to compete. Bravo for starting the discussion.
Hi I’m
One of the trolls above. I’d describe myself as a proud feminist. But I think this is scam. The conversation is being had. A lot. And there are many powerful actions taking place too as a result of all of these conversations.
I think the issue here is that Lena is leveraging the issue to win an award but not contributing to the issue in a meaningful way.
It therefore feels soulless and vacuous.
I wish I was wrong and hold hope that I am.
Watched it loved it. Congratulations all involved.
Scam used to be running an ad in the Manly Daily or some late night filler TV spots. This seems to have some substance…or its a very expensive scam…and a bit early for Cannes isn’t it.
I have an idea! If you’re going to do scam at least do scam that will make a difference.
Australia is experiencing the worst drought in history. Maybe you could do scam on climate change? water pipelines? empty promises from the government? $1 billion drought package? (or lack of it) etc etc etc…
Too hard? I thought so.
Good idea old chap, go for it. If you don’t like what’s out there, don’t moan – do something. If you work in the industry, take an idea to your CD right now. It’s not only Clems responsibility to make work that does some good.
I fail to see where the so called ‘scam’ element of this work is. It’s running globally and I’ve seen Wired Mag cover this exact issue. I think it adds in a small way to a needed debate and all people mostly have got to say is…scam.