Toolkit by Frustrated Senior Creatives Warn Young Adlanders to Industry Dangers

As the new year gets properly underway and everyone returns to work, a group of senior creatives have banded together to create a set of hard-hitting ads designed to challenge and confront the sexual harassment and misogyny young adlanders face in the industry every day. 

And show them where and how they can get support. 

The work, which was inspired by a litany of harrowing and horrendous personal experiences from a lifetime career in advertising, features two photographs viciously twisting the trope of welcome gift bags that new recruits to the industry often receive from HR. 

On first look, the bags look like a fun, harmless welcome package. However, on a closer inspection, instead of the usual innocuous and tepid fare of bags of sweets, company-branded pens and a book by some strategist or other, the alarming reality of the items is revealed. 

The bag for women features items such as: An evidence bag for collecting DNA after a sexual assault. A dictaphone: to record abuse, threats and gaslighting incidents. Antidepressants: to help you through burnout and mental illness.

The male bag includes: Megaphone: to call out misogyny when you see it. Sexual Offences Act 2003: Know the law so the lines are clear. A Timer: To stop you from dominating airtime in meetings.

Each ad also features contact numbers and direct helpline information for NABS, Equality Advisory Support Service and Rape Crisis, which has a webchat that people can use. 

Called The Change Collective, the group is made up of senior creatives, photographers and PR experts who are frustrated at the lack of support for women, sexual harassment victims and the NDA culture within the industry that allows perpetrators of this behaviour to remain in positions of power, despite their wrongdoing. The collective wants to open the industry's eyes to the bleak fact that some people who are in positions of influence can remain impartial to the abuse. 

A senior creative and member of The Change Collective, said: “The sexual harassment and misogyny people face daily within the industry is frustratingly and depressingly all too common. The work comes from a place of sad truth and bitter experience and we collectively as experts in our field who love what we do, wanted to find a way to try and protect our community. 

Another, added: “Too many times have we remained silent, turned a blind eye or made excuses. We want to let every person know if they ever experience any sexual harassment that we stand with them and there is support available and they don't have to feel like we felt when it happened to us.”