L’idea è venuta a Valentina Amenta, direttore creativo FCB Milan, o meglio, è stato grazie a lei che questo giro di microfoni è nato, alla ricerca di direttori creativi donna. Perché, diciamolo, era da tempo che youmark ci pensava, ma non sempre siete così palesi. E’ vero siete poche, ma in più, e qui magari un mea culpa va fatto, ve ne state un po’ in disparte. Non che le luci della ribalta siano sinonimo di valore, ma se non comunicate, il rischio è il calzolaio dalle scarpe rotte. Invece c’è bisogno di conoscervi. Dovete fare squadra, in nome di una professione e di un mercato che senza il vostro sguardo avrebbero molto da perdere. Tornado a Valentina, quindi, grazie per averci supportato nel segnalarci i vostri nomi e ne definire con noi delle domande che vogliamo porre a ognuna, intervista dopo intervista, sino a conoscervi tutte.
Vi presentiamo Carolyn Davis Creative Director BBDO NY.
Why are there fewer female creative directors than male ones?
“Gender inequality in business is simply a perpetual cycle that strengthens with every loop. Historically, Men have been the heads of families, armies, nations and basically run the world. This has trickled down into the workplace, and become so normal that not enough people have questioned it. Until now, it seems. But realizing something’s wrong is only the first step. In reality, it’s very difficult to stop the momentum and effectively correct the course of an ocean liner. Leadership isn’t just a title. It’s about having impact and being empowered to influence and inspire a team. You can’t just make a few women “Creative Directors” and then wipe the imaginary dust off your hands. To gain the respect of those below you, you actually need support and endorsement from those above you. A promotion to Creative Director needs to come with some level of privilege and responsibility”.
Although there are many women in this industry, why is it more unlikely for them to achieve high level roles? What would you change?
“Networking, mentoring and coaching can help women build confidence and develop their careers. When you start in a company, and you don’t see people like you in charge (and this applies to gender, race, appearance) it’s hard to visualize yourself at the top. Sometimes there are just one or two token females in management. They themselves may have defied the odds to get there, so they may not be willing to share their single seat on the Female-Management-Train with other women. I hope for more of a meritocracy. Brilliance can come in all shapes and sizes. But unfortunately the people in leadership positions are statistically more likely to anoint those who share similar physical traits, social agendas and political viewpoints to them. I noticed a group of ECDs standing around in an agency once and it occurred to me that they were all well over 6 foot tall males with short hair and sensible shoes. Those at the top need to trust a person’s ability above their appearance”.
In your personal experience, what is the greatest difficulty you have found and to whom or what do you give the credit to for having made it?
“When accepting his lifetime achievement award at the British Comedy Awards, Spike Milligan famously said, “I’m not going to thank anyone, because I did it all on my own”. This wasn’t entirely true for him and it’s not for me either, but it sometimes can feel that way. Being one half of a strong creative team has made all the difference, not just with day to day challenges but with plotting a career path in general. As a creative you’re always competing with someone, whether it’s other teams in your agency, or the rest of the world on the Award stage. It helps to have a partner in crime and mine is my creative partner, Matthew Page”.
What is the campaign you are proud of the most and which is the one you would have liked to sign?
“I am very proud of the award winning work we did for Lowe’s Home Improvement in the digital innovation space. We hacked nearly every social platform, turning them from entertainment channels into utilities and teaching Millennials how to fix things and change their homes in a clever, interactive way. For example, “In-A-Snap” was a campaign we ran on Snapchat. We realized that you could use the tapping to make the viewer feel that they had caused a reaction with their finger, rather than just as an edit point. Many imitators soon followed but we were fortunate to be recognized first. There are many other things I’ve created that are just as deserving of accolades. But you don’t get to decide what resonates to that level. So you have to embrace success and celebrate it when it does happen”.
Upcoming challenges?
“As a Creative, every day brings new problems that need solving. But one unique challenge of the digital age is the pace at which the market moves in contrast to advertising agencies and their clients. All parties need to embrace ideas quickly, before the technology or trends change and get replaced by the next thing. Furthermore, the nature of innovation means that not everything will work the first time. You need to be prepared take a few risks and try new things to get the rewards”.
About Carolyn
She is a Creative Director at BBDO New York.Originally from Melbourne Australia, she made her way here via Saatchi & Saatchi New Zealand and Goodby Silverstein San Francisco. It’s almost as if she can’t fly West. Her desk is littered with trophies, some of which are even hers. She’s won over 60 awards in the last three years alone, including 7 Cannes Lions, 3 D&AD Pencils and 3 One Show Pencils, many for digital innovations that helped her clients dominate in social media. Her work is even housed in the Permanent Collection at MoMA, although she has no idea which room. A maker in the true sense, Carolyn is also an award-winning illustrator. Recently she drew 357 portraits of her Facebook friends on their birthdays. And right now, in her spare time, she’s producing a line of minimalist pet furniture that will make you wish you had a cat.women
