Global Senior Lions initiative launches to combat ageism in advertising
March 8 2023, 12:10 pm | | 18 Comments
Ageism across the advertising industry has become increasingly problematic. Talented, experienced people all over the world are being get rid of just because of their age.
The Senior Lions initiative has been launched to raise awareness and to convince key players in advertising to address this issue.
The project directly invites the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity to create a competition aimed at 50+ years old creatives, similarly to the Young Lions. This will be a powerful statement and will set an example for the whole advertising industry to follow.
To help combat ageism in advertising, you can support the initiative by sharing or covering seniorlions.com on your platform.
If you are a 50+ creative / creator who does great work, share it at support@seniorlions.com.
18 Comments
Calling it ‘senior lions’ is in itself ageist. Why do we need (yes I’m on the 5o milestone) a seperate lion? We don’t need special awards or allowances.
Good luck with that.
So now we must prove we still have the goods when we’re over 50? FFS, this is the problem and the reason senior creatives aren’t being hired. Combating ageism in advertising is simply a matter of hiring and listening to the experience of senior creatives, not asking us to keep proving we still have what it takes.
So what about people 30 to 50? Apparently I’m both too young and too old to be recognised for anything.
Agree. Can honestly say it’s never been harder to be a late entry into the industry at 36. Can’t get in on anything.
Its great that the young lions is about finding and celebrating potential. But to truly fight ageism I’d flip what you’re doing here. Maybe like this – many of the people who will suffer age discrimination have won multiple Lions. Instead of using da Vinci et al, why not highlight the over 50s who’ve won as ‘seniors’ at the festival over the years. The examples used are too obtuse.
I don’t think it’s true that “experienced people all over the world are being get rid of just because of their age”. I think it’s because once you get to a certain level of experience and talent, people become incredibly expensive. Agencies and clients simply don’t have the money to sustain a huge amount of these roles any more. I’d have no trouble in hiring 50+ year old people if they’re happy to do the mid-weight role I have budget for.
The advertising industry doesn’t value experience. Your comment and attitude highlights this perfectly. Many industries do though, like the medical industry. I’m sure if you were given the option of a ‘middleweight’ heart surgeon or a ‘senior’ one with 20 years experience you’d go the senior every time.
Our industry doesn’t view it that way. What I find interesting and what I’d like to know is how keen will you be when the time comes (and it will come) to discount your experience?
Lmao this so unbelievably cringe. The greying mane. The monocle. The 50+ special category.
Can we see some data around how many creative people reach 50+ and WANT to be stuck working on garbage projects for some free pizza and a couple of beers one late night a week?
Sorry, but not even a shortlist for this one.
Nice. Why not get your Hegartys, Drogas et al championing mature creatives and start making this more of a movement.
God this industry has turned into a cesspool.
‘So the question is why a progressive industry, which is such a powerful force in driving culture, chose to practice ageism and nonchalantly gets rid of mature, experienced, talented people?’
Forget ageism, Lord help you if you’re a straight white guy these days.
Try being a straight, white, male over 50 who is fat and ugly.
…if it was posted on April 1st
I personally am looking forward to the ‘ sperm lion ‘ for the work done by the unborn creative.
‘Agencies and clients simply don’t have the money to sustain a huge amount of these roles any more’
That’s a false narrative.
That’s why so much of the work we see is so fair to middling – ya gets what ya pay for.
I think it’s worth digging a little deeper into this idea that older creatives ‘become too expensive’. Yes, they’ll have become expensive if they’ve done great work, and got promoted to a CD or ECD role. But they’ll only get fired from that role if their boss thinks they’re not worth the money any more. The same is true of a junior or a middleweight – anyone whose contribution doesn’t justify their salary will get fired sooner or later.