Creative Equals

Disability Pride Month: Is It More Than Just a Celebration? Four years ago, I couldn’t tell you much about it, even though I was born with a disability. My perspective since then has completely changed my way of thinking. Discover why Disability Pride Month is more than just a celebration for me in this week's blog that you can read by clicking the link here! https://lnkd.in/eqbbDYuu And let us know, how are you engaging with Disability Pride Month? #DisabilityPrideMonth #NewBlog #Blog #Disability #DisabilityAwareness ID: A gray square with colourful diagonal stripes of pink, yellow, white, blue, and green which represents the Disability Pride Month flag. In bold white font, "July is Disability Pride Month" is written on the right side of the image.

The Cannes Lion contradictions... Here’s my first one today. What was your opinion? 📣 1. A tale of two speakers… Maria Ressa, Nobel Peace Prize recipient and Cannes Lionheart Winner 2024. In her moving keynote speech, she described social media’s insidious manipulation, warned against the dangers of the outrage economy and information warfare boosted by AI on platforms including Elon Musk’s X. 📣 Quote: ‘We’re standing on the rubble of the world that was: where technology, violence and war challenge our humanity. (This award) reminds us that imagination and creativity, sparking empathy, are crucial to get us through these dark times; that power and money are not enough; and that inspiration ignites the good in each of us.’ Her out-take: FACTS + TRUTH = TRUST. Her ask: advertisers please support quality journalism, truth matters Audience response: a standing ovation that didn’t seem to ever want to die down Vs Elon Elon Musk was a divisive, polarising choice having told advertisers last year to go f*ck themselves, plus he is largely responsible for the roll-back on DEI saying it must 'DIE' and the rise of the Far Right. He claimed his platform was ‘brand safe’ to woo them back and positioned himself and ‘X’ as a champion of free speech. Musk clearly doesn’t know the difference between ‘free’ and ‘hate’ speech, rampant on the platform causing untold harm. AI, he said, has a 1 in 6 chance of annihilating us. Don’t worry, he said, we’ll move to another universe. 📣 Quote: ‘(AI) will enhance creativity and have a magic genie component. If you ask it, it will do it. Like I said, this is the most interesting of times.’ His out-take: MOVE TO SPACE, there’s a chance AI will destroy us. His ask: come back to X, it’s safe for brands. Our response: utter bewilderment. Thank you to Candace Kuss for the commentary. Like more takes on Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity? Our team Creative Equals has pulled together a deck, 'why DEI is winning at Cannes Lion', a thorough, comprehensive assessment of the work through a DEI lens. And yes, it's crushing it across every category and yes, it's funny too. Like a session for your team, including the contradictions? Get in touch. Gideon Spanier I didn’t get this to you in time!

This one’s for the men – hello men!   Many of you claim you can’t ever find any women to speak at your event or on your podcast so please allow me to point you in the direction of a̶n̶ o̶p̶t̶i̶c̶i̶a̶n̶ plenty of places to look 👇   Cindy Gallop posts about women doing great things all day every day so follow her on all her socials   💥 Amy Kean 💥 works with women across all disciplines and industries through her Good Shout social learning practice: https://lnkd.in/e8iraiw8   Jane Evans works with midlife women in marketing and advertising through her Visible Inc Narrative Changers movement: https://lnkd.in/eCvfTYUR Ali Hanan's Creative Equals Creative Comeback programme invites women creatives back into marketing and advertising after a career break: https://lnkd.in/eFNYb9Rm   Christina Garnett, EMBA’s guests on The Woman's MBA podcast: https://lnkd.in/eBnvrbHw   Visha Kudhail’s guests on Behind the Face of Success podcast: https://lnkd.in/egp4RRpw   Jo Wallace’s guests on Good Girls Eat Dinner podcast: https://lnkd.in/eN_33jqu   Carolyn McMurray's Word Tonic - the global community of Gen Z copywriters is made up of around 80% women: https://lnkd.in/eCJzrPXs   Stephanie Nadi Olson's We Are Rosie community of over 30k marketers: https://wearerosie.com/   The Gerety Awards juries: https://lnkd.in/gRCYyB7J   WOMEN IN MARKETING COMMUNITY INTEREST COMPANY winners: https://lnkd.in/e8mVKwEY   This list is off the top of my head - there are far more places to find women around the world because women are everywhere. Please note: a lot of women prefer to be invited to things – they aren't always comfortable putting themselves forward for something so please contact them directly rather than post callouts as these might not get a response.

🥁 SHOUTOUT FOR THOSE WHO CAN #HELP OUT! 🥁 Brixton Finishing School is looking for #MENTORS for our award winning summer school! We are seeking summer school mentors to empower our talented young people as they embark on their careers in our industry. Mentors will participate in a six-month mentoring programme, providing guidance and support. We offer comprehensive training and ongoing support throughout the six months and are always available to answer any questions! This is a fantastic opportunity to develop your skills, and more importantly, to break down barriers for underrepresented talent in our industry. Pre summer school: 1 hr of induction training delivered online During Summer School: Weekly/Fortnight Session starting in July Meet your mentee ever couple of weeks through July to Sept 15 to 30 mins tops - meet online or IRL Get to know your mentee Support them through Summer School 2 - 4 hrs support depending on your capacity Post Summer School: Monthly Sessions Meet your mentee for 4 monthly, 1-hour sessions (Sept - Dec 2024) Meet online or IRL You will deliver more tailored support to your mentee and feedback on goals e.g. getting a job 4 hours total To sign up you can register your interest here - https://lnkd.in/eBy497DQ and we will match you up with a mentee More info here - https://lnkd.in/e85Q-gVG Thanks Andrew South Please share!

Where have all the ‘femverts’ gone? In the 2010s, a run of ‘femvertising’’ – think Bodyform, This Girl Can, Barbie & Nike – all promised a better world for women. Not just in terms of representation in advertising, but for their potential and possibilities in life.  But in the 2020s these examples feel fewer and farther between as women renegotiate their feminism, deal with a rise in right-wing misogyny, and shoulder increased care responsibilities with decreased wages and support. What are brands to do and say in this new decade to reach women authentically? What tangible impact can brands have on women’s lives on a daily basis? Join us on Wed 10, as we hear from leading brand stewards, social impact experts and creatives as we talk about how they have navigated the new landscape of marketing to and representing women. Speakers include: Alaina Crystal, creative strategist behind Barbie and Bodyform Clemmie Telford, Creative Director, Head of Performance at ITV, ex-Meta, content creator Debbie T., Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Partnerships Director at Creative Equals Tom Ghiden, Managing Director at JOAN Creative Tanja Grubner, Global Marketing Director, Essity   #ukcreativefestival #ukcreativefestival2024

‘I now understand the connection between, and power of, disability and creativity’ I was asked if I’d share my experiences of the Disabled Creatives programme I was lucky enough to be a part of last year and I jumped at the chance. The experience gave me so many new connections, inspiration, but also so much more confidence in myself. Any chance to shout about how great the programme is - sign me up. Thank you to Creative Equals / Ali Hanan for the opportunity, Creativebrief for sharing mine and others stories from the programme, and to EMMA J MURPHY for her continued support and mentoring. Also shout out to James Goodwin Davies and Yama Noorzad for sharing their stories too! https://lnkd.in/eVWz9imS

You know what Darren Leon Mckoy and I didn’t talk about on the Forum Stage Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity? AI. Why? Marketers who use AI will be all about the ‘mainstream’. Like everyone else. To be ‘in culture’ is to understand what happens in... sub culture. Dr. Martens plc understands AI won’t help you understand where and how movements are born. Sub cultures exist where youth cultures rebel against norms. DAZED says 88 per cent of youth believe subcultures are influential to them in their lives. This is where Black culture, Queer culture, Girl Culture, etc, exist, stemming from their own attitudes, communities, beliefs and creative codes. @Darren McKoy says: ‘The power of collaboration is clear with the very DNA of Dr Martens, every project has a purpose and a tool for us to stay plugged in. Every partner we work with has a Doc's story. It’s vital. It’s critical.’ This is the power of transformative collaborations. We kicked around five: 💙 Supreme = (founder James Jebbi, skate icon) with logo by visionary artist Barbara Kurger (love the Helvetica Ultra Bold) 💙 Marc Jacobs = fashion icon who IS the zeitgeist with such fine craft 🖤 Jean Michael Basquiat = Black American Neo-expressionist artist of the 80s, friend Andy Warhol and his most coveted work, 'Untitled' 🏳️🌈 Erin McGee/MadeMe = VP of design for Supreme (one of the most influential unknown women in design) 🖤Rick Owen = a future-first fashion designer born from ‘creative deviance’ And, it’s not ‘just’ the boots, but material action focusing on Human Rights, Participation, Equity & Access. And, nope, no AI in sight. Just the brand-building power of ‘rebellious self-expression’. To everyone who came to see us and applauded when the sky blue Supremes took centre stage, thank you. For us Creative Equals this is where DEI matched with creativity, connection and craft finds its power. 🙏 Thanks to the ‘frow’: Efrain Ayala, Claire McHardy Vanessa Vidad Tejali Shete Thato Dutch Sesh Moodley (OMG - 24 years) and moderator Charley Stoney, Leila Fataar Ana Núñez-Lagos Wodnik (she/her) (thank you for the photos!), Unstereotype Alliance 🙏 To the Cannes Lion team, your 1460s are on their way… Simon Cook Rochelle Mayner Hannah F. Fiorenza Plinio Candace Kuss