If we ever asked ourselves which ad industry leaders might be good sources for a candid discussion on gender, we don’t really know whether JWT global chief creative officer Matt Eastwood would top the list.
But Eastwood will be judging the Young Glory competition this year, and as you know each judge has to pick an organization and write a brief for participants. Eastwood picked HeForShe, the United Nations Women’s group dedicated to promoting gender equality around the world with the help of Ogilvy’s social media and PR units.
Here’s what he had to say about gender in general and HeForShe in particular:
Although people everywhere understand and support the idea of gender equality, what many don’t realize is that it’s not just a women’s issue, it’s a human rights issue. HeForShe is inviting people around the world to stand together to create a bold, visible force for gender equality.
The goal of the brief:
Inspire people to take action in their daily lives to fight stereotypes, speak up for equality, and spread the message to others. When 50% of the population is not able to access the same opportunities as the other 50%, 50% of every country around the world is held back. As humanity stands currently, we are a mere half of everything we could be.
Finally:
This is NOT just about talking to men. Despite the name “HeForShe”, the organization does not want to focus solely on talking to men. Gender equality is not a women’s issue, it’s an everyone issue. Focus on the solution, not the problem, and help people recognize and change the everyday sexism they encounter, endure, or (wittingly/unwittingly) promote.
So maybe the ad industry has turned a corner on gender relations in 2017??