8898: You’ve Come A Longer Way, Baby.

Wanted to add a few notes in response to Tiffany Rolfe’s perspective on the dearth of female creative directors.

First, the post generated a handful of comments, and it’s interesting to see how other female creative directors work for shops targeting women—just as many minorities wind up landing in minority agencies. The career opportunities for anyone who isn’t a White man appear to be quite limited. Why, there are actually organizations dedicated to spotlighting the lack of ladies in charge on Madison Avenue.

Second, it must be reiterated that minorities still trail even women on the industry food chain. Consider the 2010 study conducted at the request of the NAACP and the Madison Avenue Project that spotlighted the rampant exclusivity in the advertising field. Of 52 commercials aired during the Super Bowl, 94 percent of the creative directors responsible for the spots were White men. Women accounted for the remaining 6 percent. Minorities were not represented at all. Additionally, while Rolfe may be correct in pointing out the low number of female creative directors, it seems safe to say that women are filling departments like account services, media and research quite well—a sharp contrast to minorities filling stereotypically menial roles such as receptionists, security, mailroom attendants, janitorial services and Chief Diversity Officers.

Again, the absence of female creative directors has not yet inspired anyone to search the underserved and impoverished communities for fresh talent.