WACL (Women in Advertising & Communications Leadership )

Join the mission to champion the True Representation of Women in Advertising! We are thrilled to share that WACL (Women in Advertising & Communications Leadership ) has partnered with Snap Inc., YouTube, Pinterest and influencer marketing agency Billion Dollar Boy to launch a powerful campaign under our #RepresentMe initiative. This campaign amplifies WACL’s mission of accelerating gender equality in our industry. We feature four amazing creators: Trina Nicole, Ellen Jones, Jamelia Donaldson, and Lucy Edwards. In interviews with two WACL committee members, Selma Nicholls and Chloe Davies, they share their personal stories and highlight the importance of diverse representation in advertising. Their voices represent the vast spectrum of modern women, curating invaluable conversations about how women should be authentically represented in advertising and society. Despite progress, studies like Ipsos’ A Woman’s Worth and the Geena Davis Institute's research show that women still feel underrepresented in advertising. Many women feel invisible or misrepresented, significantly impacting their confidence and happiness, job opportunities, and career progression. We need to ensure that ALL women are represented in media and advertising and that we keep up with the pace of change in society and women's lives today. Our new campaign addresses this issue head-on, urging the industry to take immediate action to represent all kinds of women, both in front of the camera and behind the scenes. We chose creators to examine how women are represented as they are already attracting audiences and communities of women who do not necessarily see themselves represented anywhere else. The ever-growing number of women creators, representing a wide range of nuances and lifestyles, is a testament to the huge opportunity women audiences and the creator economy offer our industry. This year's initiative builds on last year’s campaign and ongoing efforts with partners like the Unstereotype Alliance, ISBA, and the Advertising Association. We call on everyone to join the conversation, champion positive and authentic representation, and drive a new era of change. Representation is not just a moment but a movement. Let’s hold ourselves accountable and continue pushing for a future where every woman feels seen and valued. Check out the campaign and join me, Nishma Patel Robb 🪩⚡️ and our WACL (Women in Advertising & Communications Leadership )community in making a lasting impact! A HUGE thank you to Leigh Thomas, who has expertly led this work for us at WACL with her committee Caitlin Ryan Vanella Jackson Milka Privodanova Beth Freedman (she/her) Jessica Lovell Selma Nicholls Chloe Davies Rebecca Fuller Thank you to our key partners Becky Owen of Billion Dollar Boy, Alison Lomax of YouTube, Kate Bird and Ronan Harris of Snap Inc. and EssenceMediacomX #WACL #RepresentMe #GenderEquality #WomenInAdvertising #DiversityAndInclusion #EmpowerWomen #FemaleCreators

What a week we had at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, full of supporting, inspiring and campaigning for change alongside many of the brightest and most brilliant voices in the industry. As well as encouraging the industry to respond to all kinds of women's desire to #RepresentMe, we spoke, listened and learned alongside 100 speakers across 25 panels, with around 1000 attendees at the #WACLEmpowerCafe. Huge thanks to WACL-ers Nishma Patel Robb 🪩⚡️ Chloe Davies, Sharon Lloyd Barnes and Lori Meakin and all our partners and collaborators for launching the #WACLRepresentMePledge at the start of the week. And to Louise Watson and Karen Stacey for creating the first ever WACL Empower Cafe, supported by Liz Wilson, Lori Meakin and Susie Safavi. Thank you too to all of our sponsors and partners, without whose support the Cafe would not have happened: see comments for the full list.

"A safe and respectful environment is the least all of us deserve. It also allows creativity to flourish and ensures that everyone can contribute to their fullest potential." Lori Meakin of the #timeTo Steerco and WACL Exec explains how sexual harassment is often misunderstood, how it remains “a significant barrier to a positive and productive work environment” and – most importantly – how we can all help to eradicate it. Read the #CelebratingSafely guide here: Thanks to Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, NABS, Pippa Glucklich and Wildstorm PR for driving this important work. https://lnkd.in/eEmv6p_K

"There are a lot of inspiring lessons to be learned at Cannes, but we shouldn't ever let the hectic schedule and fun make us lose sight of what is truly important; taking personal responsibility for our actions, and taking responsibility for those around us" Words of wisdom from our current VP Karen Stacey about the work #timeTo and Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity are doing to ensure everyone can celebrate safely. Read the timeTo guide and find out about timeTo training here: https://lnkd.in/e7DeayVR https://lnkd.in/ejX-NNM7

What a Day 1 for the #WACLEmpowerCafe at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. The utter legend that is Mary Earps came by to chat and hang out, amongst a day-long collection of brilliant, inspirational women panellists and a packed house full of change-makers. The Cafe is a space that's women-led and women-centred but open to any gender, so check out today’s schedule and register here.  https://lnkd.in/eQKHR7G5 And remember to pick up a #CelebratingSafely guide created by #timeTo, the industry’s initiative to eradicate sexual harassment, created by Advertising Association NABS and WACL (Women in Advertising & Communications Leadership ), so we can all help each other feel safe and free to explore the best that our industry has to offer. And... as if all that weren’t enough, this morning you can catch #WACL in action down on the Pinterest beach too, talking about how we need to answer more women’s demands to #RepresentMe better in the work we create, and hold ourselves truly accountable. Represent Me is a hugely important part of the campaigning work we do at WACL, and we hope you’ll join us in that too. https://lnkd.in/eb-K-m8h Thanks TheWrap for this write-up. Glad you enjoyed your day!

Huge congratulations to WACL members Davina Barker, Elizabeth Anyaegbuna and Sarah Parkes who have been named one of Campaign UK Magazine’s #40Over40 winners for 2024. 🎊 Congratulations also to everyone else who made the list and for their contributions in leading the industry forward. This year’s panel of judges included WACL member Hannah Kimuyu and was chaired by Chloe Davies. Full list here: https://lnkd.in/ec-t-kCm

Together, #timeTo and Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity are setting a new standard for inclusivity, safety and integrity at industry events. Read the Celebrating Safely guide to get key advice on sexual harassment, including the ‘grey areas’, so you feel empowered to speak up about it if you should need to. Read the guide before you land, or find it at the Palais or the WACL Empower Cafe - https://lnkd.in/e7DeayVR Let’s make sure everyone has a great festival. #timeTo #Cannes NABS Advertising Association IPA (Institute of Practitioners in Advertising) ISBA

If you’re an employer, it’s your legal duty to safeguard the health, safety and wellbeing of your employees before, during and after @Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity Don’t let anyone in your team experience sexual harassment, like in this ad. Lead by example and demonstrate respectful behaviour throughout the festival. Read the Celebrating Safely guide on how to be proactive in tackling sexual harassment - https://lnkd.in/e7DeayVR #timeTo #CannesLions @NABS @WACL (Women in Advertising & Communications Leadership ) @Advertising Association @IPA (Institute of Practitioners in Advertising) @ISBA

Last Thursday we gathered in a sunny, busy Edinburgh for a slightly different Fellows Gathering. We partnered with WACL (Women in Advertising & Communications Leadership ) to bring our Fellows and friends of Fellows an event that would inspire us all to think differently about how we can play our part in accelerating gender equality. We heard from five fantastic speakers. Nishma Patel Robb 🪩⚡️, WACL President and ex Marketing Director Google UK, discussed how to be able to communicate, persuade, inspire and entertain as marketers, we need people of different thought, different attitude, different culture, different background. Lori Meakin, CEO The Others & Me and author of ‘No More Menomies’, shared her thoughts on gender equality, why it doesn't mean a loss for men and how we need to give the space for people to make mistakes and learn from them, instead of this era of cancel culture. Pete Markey, CMO Boots UK & NI, shared his insights on how he as a senior leader makes space and time to explore these issues and highlights we need to allow anyone in a workplace to bring problems and suggestions to our attention, regardless of seniority level. Fiona Gordon, CEO of Ogilvy UK, gave advice on different programmes and initiatives focused on female leadership that Ogilvy have in place that we could learn or take inspiration from. Simon Crunden, CEO of Freethinking Group and Managing Director, Republic of Media, shared 5 key things he has learned from 5 senior female leaders he's been friends with, worked with or been inspired by. The day was brilliantly hosted by Juliet Simpson, CEO of Stripe Communications. See the pictures from the event here ➡️ loom.ly/J8mwDdU Credit: Anna Moffat

Trina Nicole of The Curve Catwalk, discusses how seeing yourself in ads can boost confidence. It's part of our new #RepresentMe campaign that launched last week with Pinterest, Snap Inc., and YouTube, advocating for better representation of ALL women in advertising. Collaborating with @Billion Dollar Boy the campaign features four amazing creators sharing why representation matters to them and their communities and calls on everyone. Through RepresentMe we are calling on the advertising industry, and everyone outside of it, to take immediate action to improve the representation of ALL types of women. Head over to our website to learn more: https://lnkd.in/e9Bn3s3j #RepresentMe #WomenInAdvertising #DiversityandInclusion #CreatorEconomy