M.I.A – Where are all the Mums in ads?
(Regina Stroombergen patiently waiting…)
By Regina Stroombergen, lead creative tinker, Thinkerbell
After working in my first advertising job for about a year I left to take a break and do something else. I’d just won a couple of awards and I remember my creative director at the time saying that I had “One year to get back into ads” – I’m guessing that after one year he assumed I would be out-dated, replaced by someone younger and for the most part, obsolete.
I remembered the phrase “one year to get back into ads” 7 years later when I was pregnant and about to go on maternity leave. Maternity leave in Australia is generally a whole year, that’s a whole year not working*. Would I become obsolete and out-dated? Replaced by someone younger? Completely out of touch? The short answer is of course not.
But now, 2 kids, 2 maternity leaves and nearly 5 years later I ask myself, where are the other mums in the creative department? Given that mothers control 85% of household spending you would think that having a mother’s perspective on brands would be an advertising agency’s greatest asset. But it seems that we’re few and far between. Is it because creative departments are dominated by men and late nights? Or maybe working anything less than 5 days a week is seen as undedicated or inconvenient. Who knows?
If you’re a mum working in a creative department I’d like to meet you. Come and join me, Regina Stroombergen for a drink, my shout. We’ll start an exclusive club.
The Corner Hotel
57 Swan St, Richmond, Melbourne
Thursday 6 May 6-8pm
RSVP: reginastroombergen@thinkerbell.com
*Being on maternity leave is most definitely working. It’s hard.
73 Comments
In.
Great initiative, Reg!
If my experience over the last 12 years is anything to go by, the Mum’s are always the one’s who get to go home on time. Maybe that’s where they are?
They don’t muck around when they’re on the clock, that’s why. No beers and chit chat and calling it ‘working late’.
So all singles and people without kids have beers and chit chat? You’re a fool.
Or it’s because they’re better at time management. Who cares what time someone leaves as long as the work is done and is good. Flexible working is the future.
a twat
You have used your quota of unnecessary apostrophes for April/May.
Ummm i think the fundamental reason there are ‘no mums in the creative department’ stems from the fact that there are NO WOMEN in the creative department (generally speaking). Forget the parent debate, and let’s open up the discussion on how deeply sexist our industry is. The ECD and top creative list on the side column of this site is a shameful testament to the ad industry’s male white creative silo
Love this Reg! Well done.
The world was built in a different time We’ll get there, but we’ll get some scrapes along the way.
I’ll be there Reggie. And if you can find one, hire a mum – they’re efficient, empathetic and insightful. Joining their ranks was the best thing I ever did – both personally and professionally.
12 years in advertising, and already a dinosaur…
This is great Reg!
See you there Reg! I won’t be drinking – damn selfish fetus.
Been here since 8.
Ate lunch at my desk.
Written someone else’s preso.
Checked off 6 edits.
Knocked out some radio.
Leaving at 5pm.
Will open laptop again at 9pm and have a coffee and get a jump on the tomorrow work.
That’s where this mum is.
Go back to the ping pong table, mate.
that’s my life right there
Good on you Reg! You go… MAMA 👊🏼
you are everything that is wrong with this industry.
Thanks, I’ll remember that next time I’m in the office at midnight because all the parents left to pick up their kids at 5. Apparently I deserve it though because all I’ve been doing all day is playing ping pong and drinking beer… F*cking ridiculous.
@@seahorse Not sure what office you’re sitting at, but this crazy thing called ‘Flexible Working’ has kicked in. Here, we’ve got people leaving at 5 for pets, kids, yoga or whatever else. Sure, we’re all back online at 9 but it’s in uggs from the couch. Democracy at work!
What you’re saying isn’t popular, but it is true. The amount of slack (SOME) non-parents pick up for (SOME) parents is pretty full on. But it isn’t an absolute truth. It’s just harder to say ‘I’m going home because my (childless) wife will divorce me if I don’t help out around the house’ vs ‘My kid’s sick. Bye.’
Great idea. Hope you get a good crowd.
If anything good comes of 2020 I hope it’s the idea that flexible / blended working makes it somewhat easier for mums to return to work after having kids and stay in the industry.
Woohoo, go Reg! Love this x
We might leave ‘on time’, but we eat at our desk and pick up the tools again after 8pm.
Your comment just shows how out of touch you are and how much you lack insight. Two traits integral for talented, creative minds. Maybe it’s time for you to get out of advertising.
By pick up the tools you mean fire off three or four emails while watching MasterChef. Not gender specific, just a fact. We’ve all worked with parents who prove they’re committed 24/7 by sending vacuous work emails after hours.
This issue isn’t exclusive to creative departments, sadly. I’ve only hired working Mums, for no other reason than the fact that they were the best person for the job!
There with bells on! (Maybe I’ll demand to go home on time just to attach them. More likely I’ll get it done before Captain Seahorse is even awake.)
Oh, Sad Little Seahorse. 2009 is calling, buddy.
Mums work harder than most, especially because they’re having to get over road-blocks like you.
Love your work Reggie – good job x
This is awesome!
Cheers Reg.
I agree with Sarah M that Mums, (and even Gran-mamas) have so much to offer. Sure, they may not always be the last one standing at Friday night drinks, but their first hand insights and ability to juggle are the sort of attributes that ad agencies need and that we should work hard to foster.
Here’s to a great gathering next week x
Where are all the mums in the creative department? At home, eating pizza with their kids after 3:30pm. That where.
No kids here and my husband sits at home alone while I work my butt off through the night picking up the slack for parents who had to leave early.
Leader thinker – sure.
Perhaps the reason there are no Mums in creative departments is because they’re too smart to go back to them after having a child and seeing what life is like beyond being a frustrated artist.
The creative department is the most overworked and underpaid part of any marketing team.
Just go work in strategy or account management. Yeh you still have to work hard, but the product doesn’t rest on your shoulders so you’re free to enjoy what little life you have left.
It’s hilarious to see the pampered souls of this industry, who get paid pretty decent money to have basically zero positive effect on the world (in most instances a clear negative effect), have a pissing contest over whose cushy job is harder.
Get a grip. Or better still, a job that’s actually hard to give you some perspective. Ping pong and pizza are nothing more than carrots that sometimes dangle as you willingly hand over your out-of-hours life for this “art”.
Throw every single brand-named product you own out. Throw out every single magazine, newspaper, commercial website, television and radio station. Throw out every single tv show, radio show, ‘entertainment’ and production paid for by advertising. Throw out every single movie paid for via product placement. Throw out youtube, facebook and instagram. Throw out 99% of popular bands, including The Beatles. Then tell us how much ‘basically zero positive effect on the world’ advertising has.
A lot of generalisations going on here. My wife is in the industry too. Does she go home at 5pm? You bet. But then she is up at 5:00am to work out and fit in some semblance of a life before we rush to get get kids in the car and off to daycare. She’s in at 8am, works her arse off without leaving her desk. One of us will leave at 5 then it is 2 hours to pick up, feed, bathe and connect with your child that has been in daycare for nearly 10 hours. Then back working till 10pm where you try fix up the work of other people, answer inane feedback and work on pitches and RFPs and whatever needs to be done by 8am tmrw. Fucking Superwoman if you ask me. Also, if you ‘aren’t allowed to leave’ at 5 to keep working at home… you’re at the wrong place buddy.
Oh no, did you not get into AWARD school again?
That working mums (and anyone really) that do a full days work, then feel the need to do more work after hours at home at 8,9,10pm. Sod that.
You are getting screwed over by your employers guys!
Anyway, I feel this thread is getting hijacked
Good initiative from this person to bring together a group of people that have stuff in common that will enjoy hanging out and sharing stories.
Let’s quit the squabbling eh
I’ll tell you why you’re all sitting at your desks till midnight.
It’s because you waste so much time working out:
Why I need to dig it.
What spade to use.
Can it be more than a hole.
Can I craft it even more.
Will my boss like it.
Can I get an award for it.
And will it change the world.
Just dig the bloody hole.
And go home.
Kids are cool.
Being a parent is cool.
Obvs, that’s where its at…
I’m not a mum. And not even in a (true) creative department any more. But this is a superb idea. Gonna track down all my creative-mum mates and let them know about it. Thanks Reg.
You’re serious, aren’t you? You’re seriously claiming that all of those creations have advertising to thank for their existence, not the ideas of their creators. Sure, advertising is a way to monetise certain platforms that you’ve mentioned, but their very existence? Maybe in a venture capitalist way, I guess.
Interesting to notice you referred to ideas that aren’t advertising, as if they’re proof that advertising is a net good because people with these brilliant ideas have managed to make them happen. You purposely left out the legitimately brilliant ideas that have come from advertising, I suppose.
Keep drinking the free Friday afternoon Kool-Aid – don’t forget to save some for 10pm or Sunday though.
@ @Sometimes 2 – why would I go to Award School? That’s for the artists among us.
🔥 Wooo Reg!
The fact that most people look down on someone leaving the office at 5 is a sad indictment on the entire industry. That should just be how it is!
The expectation that should you leave before 5 that you are then expected to go home and work for three hours after the kids are in bed (which is what most mum’s in all departments in advertising do) is absolute tosh.
Everyone should be able to go home at a reasonable hour, the majority of the time (occasional pitch work or somesuch notwithstanding)
And it’s absolute crap that juniors fear leaving “on-time”… “on-time” meaning about 7pm, but more often later than that. I know I spent much of my career shit-scared of what people might think of me if I left at 6pm. How insane is that… We all have collective Stockholm Syndrome. That’s why going freelance is awesome if you can handle it.
Too many people are overworked and overstressed, red-lining on dinner and beers at work too many nights a week.
If you’re going to work hours like that- do it for yourself so you can build something for yourself, not an agency that is taking the piss out of how many hours they can get out of you before you have a nervous breakdown, become an alcoholic, have your relationship end, or who knows what else. The amount of hours that get written off nowadays is insane, all in the name of “pleasing the client” who then expect work to get cheaper and cheaper and cheaper, as the work suffers. No-one benefits from it- let alone all the poor suckers working non-stop on things that 99.9% of the time end up as wall paper.
So, good on you Reg. I hope heaps of people turn up for a drink with you. And I hope some people stop questioning anyone, not just Mum’s, who leave on time. We all need to wise up and realise that working 70 hours a week on advertising is not a healthy use of time or the amazing creative brains of the people who work in this industry.
What a fantastic idea, Regina. I wish i lived in Melbourne!
To everyone who feels hard done by because your co-workers ‘get to go home’ and look after their kids at 5pm: I felt similar for a while when i was in my 20s. Then I became a parent. And I gained insights and real life experiences I could only dream of when i was young and spending 3/4 of my life working. Every person at your agency has something incredible to offer. For some, it’s time. For others, it’s insight, speed and efficiency. For others still, it’s all of the above – but only at midnight. As long as we’re working together to get the job done, all is well with the world.
xkimmie
Very well said. I can’t believe the hours I punched as a junior/mid at tier 1 agencies. Literally six years of 12-14 hour days and every other weekend. It just seemed to be how it was (and at some places still is). Gives me burning hot rage just thinking about how much of my life I sacrificed to abusing agencies and intimidating ECD’s gaslighting and dangling carrots. Never again.
It wasn’t long ago that “culture” often meant working on proactive briefs until late at night – all the while drinking and playing foosball.
A lot of women joined in and some of them went on to have babies. Many mums didn’t want to “work” like that anymore, leaving too few creative women to grow into leaders.
Covid finally forced management into embracing flexible working models so this is absolutely the right time to kick start this conversation.
MIA (Mums in Advertising) is a terrific initiative. Power to you Regina.
This is a brilliant initiative, bravo to Regina.
And yet somehow, a few utter twats have turned the comment section into an absolute swamp. For the love of god, grow up or f*ck off. And I say this as a stereotypical straight, white, bearded middle aged strategist who at least has the bloody common sense to be aware of my own goddam privilege.
Max respect to Regina and all the mums / women in our industry who have to put up with this juvenile and outdated mindset
The fact that people still can’t see the value of Mums in the workplace is boggling. Mums do the hardest job there is. Giving birth to a child, slogging it out day and night (more than many ad folk), problem solving and creative multi-tasking on a level many of us could never achieve. That is inspirational.
if you can’t see the power of a Mum’s perspective, you’re a roadblock to creativity
if you don’t want that level of diversity, your business will go backwards
if you whine about people leaving work on time, you need to learn about boundaries
maybe ask your mum about it 🙂
Great idea, Reg. You’re a legend.
Going freelance is a good way of managing hours. And if that’s not for you, consider moving in-house. If you can find the right client, it’s a dream job.
Great initiative, Regina.
What about us suits?!
It’s all of the departments who have working mums – and not only can I say working mums are efficient but also just as dedicated.
Hours don’t need to just be 9-5 – I don’t remember a night I haven’t been back online… after kids are picked up from crèche/school, fed, washed, teeth brushed, books read and in bed.
We do two jobs. And we do it bloody well!
Hope you get a fab turn out. Us mummas need to support each-other! xx
Go Reg! Ignore the twats making generalisations. Ad culture needs to change and your initiative is hopefully a nice little kick up the arse. Appalled some people are using the comments section as a pissing contest. You’re an amazing woman and brilliant thinker and we need more women like you to stay in advertising so there’s LESS OF US IN EFFING WASHING POWDER ADS xxx
I preference hiring working mums and dads if I can. They are efficient, focused and energised to get shit done on time. They are also more aware of why they actually come to work – not just for the pay or the trinkets, but because of their family, and that means they don’t fuck about and get more done in a day than most anyone else. There should be a recruitment agency specialising in mums and dads.
we need more diverse voices in the creative department. It will make everyone better. Well done.
Forget the naysayers, I love this thread, It’s almost like a barometer of where people’s heads are at. I see a seismic change after Covid. And this isn’t just about Mums. It’s about balance for everyone. For anyone who wants a life (and some inspiration) out of advertising. Because that makes us better. Happy creatives, better work. Seeing everyone on board makes me very optimistic.
Such a simple and awesome idea Reg!
Being a mum brings so much extra perspective and grit. We def need more mums to stick around in creative departments, so sharing notes and a beer can only help that. Proud of you!! XO
Can I ask a very sincere question about creative advertising.
Is it actually worth it?
I’m doing AWARD School now, and it just feels like I’m wasting months of my life to get into an underpaid, over-worked job, only to be made redundant multiple times in an industry that’s in rapid decline.
Honestly, what’s the point? If I put the energy I’ve put into getting into the industry into starting my own business or something, I feel like I’d probably be happier and more financially secure.
I also feel like I’ve already ruined my life somewhat trying to ‘break in’. I’ve moved cities, quit jobs, costing friendships and relationships. And for what? To chase this fantasy of working in a “fun” industry? It’s not exactly fun. It’s actually fucking depressing. It’s getting rejected over and over. It’s being hopelessly insecure day in, day out. It’s have absolutely no power, and having to be a c*nt to get any work through. Then when you do get work through, you’re like “great, I helped a bank make slightly more money”.
Reading about parents putting in 12 hour days in here, between managing a family, is genuinely depressing. It’s peak late-capitalism (and this coming from a capitalist). If it was for your own benefit, fine, but if it’s to sell napalm for billionaires, who gives a fuck? Why bother? Why does anyone even care about advertising except for our petty egos and animalistic drive to just out-do one another? It’s a race to the bottom.
I feel like the the best thing advertising has ever sold is itself. But it’s selling a lie. Please tell me I’m wrong. Otherwise, I’m honestly just going to learn to code.
I think you’ve pretty much nailed it.
You should be happy that you already seem like a Senior With An Answer. Most people don’t realise all of that for years.
I worked in Agencies for more than two decades. I don’t now. Leaving provided perspective on how egocentric and self-absorbed some people in agencies can be. Sure it can be fun, sure it can be frustrating, but the truth is in the scheme of things it’s just not that important. And for those in agencies who prioritize young families, it’s hands down the right decision. You kids will thank you long after the realization the awards and accolades were never really that meaningful.
Well, you write fantastically and obviously seem like someone with a knack for insight, I think you’ll do well if you stick with it.
The thing is, advertising can (at times) be the best job on earth. The problem is, those time are either extremely few and far between or have more to do with the people you’re working with than the work itself.
I’ve done the 14 hour days for months on end. The weekends. Dealt with the egomaniac ECD’s and cults of intimidation. The thing that kept me hanging in there were my colleagues. Creative departments tend to attract some of the funniest and talented people you’ll ever meet and I still hang out with them years later despite multiple redundancies (always fun after you’ve given your life to an agency out of some blind sense of loyalty).
At the end of the day it’s your call but I would say don’t give up until you’ve given it a proper shot. A lot of your career will come down to blind luck – namely what brief’s you get put on and where. Making a great ad and seeing it pick up at award shows is honestly a great feeling. The problem is the agencies which provide the opportunities are almost always the ones that will take the most from your personal life. It’s a balancing act that puts the Cirque du Soleil to shame and to be honest, I’m still trying to get it right in my mid 30’s. Good luck, I hope you stick with it long enough to get your own first-hand experience and make the right call that works for you.
Learn to code—you’ll be better for it, even if you do give advertising a crack. Especially if you give advertising a crack.
You’re right. It’s an immature industry that is slowly, finally starting to grow up. The old model is dead (or dying), and the old ways are no longer relevant. So a blend of skills (coding / AI etc) will put you at an advantage.
As others have noted, things are changing, and ultimately will be better. Once the industry fully embraces diversity and prioritises the wellbeing of its lifeblood: the talented, creative and interesting people—yes PEOPLE ARE OUR PRODUCT—that keeps business in business.
If it doesn’t, code like a boss. Best of luck 🙂
I’ve worked with a lot of mums in advertising, in creative and all agency departments plus many on the client-side. Some come back after maternity leave and others have an awakening while they have that time away from the business. Realizing they don’t want to put up with the bullshit demands this industry often puts on us. Others have had great ideas to start their own businesses after being a parent. Covid seems to have helped this a little. If we could all say no to the deadlines and the egos a little more then it would be a better work-life balance.
As someone who got out of the advertising industry a few years ago, all I can say after reading these replies is get out while you still can.
In life, you choose to put your effort into your family or work/life balance. It’s a choice you choose to make with the prior understanding you can’t be in two places at once. Everyone needs to look at what they want in return, a successful family or climbing the corporate ladder. History shows life has never been about sacrifices, what you put in, you get in return, so choose a side and stick to it. If your a better mum than creative, put that energy and get the rewards you deserve and your child needs.
Imagine working in agencies where the norm is not having a life on weeknights because you’re not sure if you can leave on time. Usually, because some fucking muppet has cocked up and you have to clean up their mess when they piss off at 6pm.
I do not miss adland at all and these comments are astounding.
great idea, but who thought of it first.
I love this idea, Regina.
Agency culture, with its late nights and general pissing-contest mentality, was established decades ago by a bunch of guys who didn’t have to cook, clean or look after kids. It’s so incredibly gendered.
How funny that some of the most creative minds going lack the imagination to dream of a better way of working, one that would bring fresh, original ideas into the room. Isn’t it weird that this inherited norm of long hours and neglect of life outside the agency somehow gets attached to merit.
How dare some creatives suggest they’re carrying the load for their colleagues with kids, when all they’re carrying is the legacy of white dudes makin’ ads in the 60s. How blinkered to think that women who are forced by life to be more organised have less to offer.
Also, it’s not news to say that mums who are creatives don’t clock off when they leave at 5pm. They’re still mulling over that bried when they’re giving their kids a bath, or making school lunches, or reading stories, or changing wet sheets. It can be done.
Go home, guys. You could learn something from a mum.
“If your a better mum than creative, put that energy and get the rewards you deserve and your child needs.”
Would you say that to a father? Didn’t think so.
I’m sayin it
If you’re a better father than creative, put that energy and get the rewards you deserve and your child needs
It’s exactly the same man
Leave the petty gender spat
@lemmings
Your view of how to be a person in the world is so laughably binary. According to you, you can either be a good parent (and according to you, people have an aptitude for being a good parent, which is a weird idea) *or* you can be a good creative. One or the other, take your pick.
.
Ok, Captain Either/Or, how do you explain the vast numbers of incredible creatives with kids? Incredible creatives. Are they bad parents? Isn’t it possible that being a good creative could make you a better parent? Or that being a parent could make you a better creative? Could you, I’m guessing you’re a creative without a kid, stretch your creative brain to entertain those as possibilities?
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Or do you simply believe that good creative can only come from the amount of hours you spend in the office. Seems a little unsophisticated as an idea, if you ask me. Especially when, for example a junior takes, say three times as long as a senior to crack a saleable concept. How does your time-equals-quality idea stack up then? It doesn’t. Often, parents are simply more efficient than they used to be.
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I’m much more organised now I have a kid. I’m focused at work, and I get it done. My three-year helps me look at the world in a way no number of late nights, free beer and chips in the office could have. I’m a better creative because I’m a parent. Choosing one or the other doesn’t make any sense.