Headhunters And The Boys Club
October 23, 2007
Seems like we aren’t the only ones who understand that the Boys Club aka Berlin Cameron really is full of a bunch of F.A.Gs (Fucking Ad Guys). Last year, we hear… that a headhunter set up a female creative with an interview for an open spot at the club house. Her warning to the interviewee? That BC is a total fey frat house and that the women she knew who worked their often felt like they were “on display” in a “meat market.” We believe it. Remember this guy (whom we will never tire of trotting out)? We’re not saying that all the boys running around BC have the “Girls-didn’t-like-me-in-highschool-so-now-I’m-a-douche attitude.” Just some of ‘em.
Also, on an actual news front, the agency has recently seen one of their big accounts, Boost Mobile, go into play.
Read More: McCann And The Ad Council’s Small Steps
October 23, 2007 at 5:46 pm
Oooh the secret is out, but not really.
They are just of the tip of the iceberg. The Boys Club of Advertising is everywhere. I wish it was surprising too and in some ways it is strange because 51% of the population (consumers)is female. Riddle me this: So if these ad men are really sensitive to how women see things and what motivates them… why are they so boys club like?
October 23, 2007 at 8:51 pm
I think ‘fey’ means something other than what you think it means.
Other than that, this is a very interesting item. I wonder all the time why the people who run that place are the textbook definition of ‘douche.’
Question to you- do you think the headhunter should or should not have told her candidate this opinion of bc?
October 23, 2007 at 10:03 pm
Ok, fey is … slightly insane, if not let me know. I believe the head hunter should let her know what she is getting into before she even interviews but, I wonder if the head hunter was female too? And why would a woman want to work in a place like that? To sacrifice being objectified for what? It has nothing to do with her creative abilities in the professional realm. This is such a hot button for me. I guess the head hunter depending on mind set could be insensitive but might want more women present in the industry, it’s really a hard call. What do you think?
October 24, 2007 at 1:19 pm
I for one am a white guy ad creative who is sick and tired of ad creatives being a bunch of white guys. I hear stories from my female creative friends (And creatives who are other “minorities”) that make me want to throw up. Thankfully, I’ve been somewhat lucky as the first agency i worked at was over 50% women including the creative dept, and the agency I work at now has a staff from all over the world. Yet still I’ve heard stuff in the halls like “Girls can’t concept” or “Only hire her if she’s hot.” Makes me sick.
October 24, 2007 at 5:15 pm
It is a shame, a real shame that the “halls” of an ad agency echo of insecure chatter such as “Girls can’t concept” or “Only hire her if she’s hot.” That’s not a very creative thing to say in the hallway, let alone intelligent. Of course they were probably saying it because they think “guys” have the cornered the market on concepts and creativity.
It would seem if they were such an “out of the box creative thinker” … they would be able to imagine a female creative who could concept. By the way, have you ever commented on how you felt on what you heard in the halls? I can’t even tell you what I seen. Thanks for the input.
October 25, 2007 at 1:04 pm
Adgal,
Yes, I have. I’ve even walked out of the room during a particularly bad exchange. The problem is, i’m by far the youngest in my dept. besides one designer.
I totally believe that creative departments need to have a sense of levity and free speech (I happen to have an exceptionally dark sense of humor at times) but there is a difference between levity and free speech and deep-seeded, destructive bias.
Those of us who want to fight the good fight just need to do the best we can to be inclusive and open-minded. And when we get to senior positions we can help create agencies dedicated to creativity, not dedicated to ego boosts for small penises.