These Bank Ads Salute Successful Women in a Clever, Unexpected Way

Isn't it time everyone looked past their preconceptions about what women can achieve in the business world? To wit, BMO Bank of Montreal uses a clever device to challenge commonly held perceptions of gender and success in a campaign from FCB Canada. In the clips below, we meet Sam and Jamie, who've worked hard to make their marks in the fields of technology and entertainment. [kickout id="1"] [kickout id="2"] The unisex names are just part of the simple yet satisfying twist that powers each commercial. Riffing on the theme of "visibility"—and mindful that strong, successful women are frequently overlooked—FCB put men in the foreground, with narration that seems to tell their stories, while the "real" Sam and Jamie hover in the background, hidden in plain sight, only stepping up toward the end. The ads tout BMO's Celebrating Women initiative, which supports women innovators, entrepreneurs and community organizers. "We wanted to bring female leaders to the forefront," agency creative chief Nancy Crimi-Lamanna tells AdFreak. "In Canada, more and more women are changing the face of leadership, and we believe they deserve their chance in the spotlight." FCB also found that search terms such as "CEO," CFO" and "Canadian business leaders" yielded mostly male names and images. So, the shop took steps to make sure women that BMO has recognized through its Celebrating Women Awards placed higher in Google results: [kickout id="3"] "Almost everyone who worked on this campaign is female," says Crimi-Lamanna. "The creative idea was conceived and executed by women at the agency—from the creative team, to the account team, and even myself, the chief creative officer. Our approach to the shoot was very similar. We used a female director, along with as many female crew members as possible." While the "face" of commerce remains predominantly male, that's just part of an evolving picture in which women are coming into sharper focus every day. CREDITS Campaign Title: "Visibility" Client: BMO Client Supervision Name & Title: Managing Director, Brand & Market Research: Jennifer Carli Senior Advertising Manager: Shelley Johnsen Marketing Specialist, Brand Governance & Merchandising: Kaleigh MacMaster Creative Agency: FCB Canada Chief Creative Officer: Nancy Crimi-Lamanna Group Creative Director: Jeremiah McNama Copywriter: Laura De Santis Art Director: Tayler-Lee Resar-Teese VP, Managing Director: Tracy Little Group Account Director: Cynthia Roach Account Supervisor: Allison Lochhead Account Executive: Katherine Forester Conseillère/Account Executive: Hélène Labrèche Agency Producer: Christine Michalejko Productrice: Anick Rozon Project Manager: Lindsay Haan Chief Strategy Officer: Shelley Brown Senior Strategic Planner: Eryn LeMesurier Strategist: Shelagh Hartford Production Company: Someplace Nice Executive Producer: Chilo Fletcher Director: Nicole Dorsey Director of Photography: Andy Ferreira Line Producer: Jennifer Walker Casting: Shasta Lutz, Jigsaw Casting Editing House: Saints Editorial Editor: Danica Pardo Assistant Editor: Cameron Lasovich Producer: Sara Windrim Executive Producer: Tory Osler Transfer Facility: Alter Ego Colourist: Tricia Hagoriles VFX Artist: Alexa Salsberg Executive Producer: Hilda Pereira Producer: Katie Methot Audio: Apollo Voice Director: Spencer Hall Audio Engineer: Ethan Myers Executive Producer: Tom Hutch

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These Bank Ads Salute Successful Women in a Clever, Unexpected Way

FCB's artful work makes a powerful point

David Gianatasio

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David Gianatasio