It is interesting to see how companies like Macy’s are changing the way they are depicting women in advertising. However, there is also a lot going on behind the scenes. Advertising has been a historically male-dominated field. And even today, it is still not easy for women move into real positions of power.

Although sometimes exaggerated, the show Mad Men depicts what it was like to be a woman in the advertising world years ago. Rampant sexism was common, as well as the simple fact of not being taken seriously if you were a woman. In the scene below, the character Peggy Olson is a star copy writer after moving up from being a secretary. She is explaining to her boss that she is resigning to take a job at a different agency. Instead of being understanding, he is mostly angry, taking credit for all of her successes, and pretty much saying he is the reason she is in this job in the first place. And although it may be partially true, nothing is said about her merit or talent.

 

Unfortunately, times have not changed as much as we may have hoped. Although things are not nearly so rough for women in the advertising workspace anymore, they are still having trouble rising to positions of real power. As Mira Kaddoura explains in her article We are the 0.1%; Why the Ad World Needs more Female Founders, there are many few females in charge of ad agencies. She discusses how although only 0.1% of ad agencies have been founded by women, those agencies who do have women in top management positions tend to earn more. She goes on to discuss how women-founded agencies tend to bring a more diverse school of thought to their clients, which can translate to more sales. Women account for 85% of the country’s purchasing power, so it’s not surprising that having more female owned companies may help appeal to this large group of consumers.

There are still many boundaries for women in the world of advertising. Having few role models to look up to in such a male dominated industry makes it harder for women to set out on their own. However, the benefit to clients of women-run agencies seems pretty obvious. Women have made great strides since the age of Mad Men, but there is still a lot of work to be done.

 

https://adage.com/article/agencies/world-female-agency-founders/313902/