Top agencies abandon Campaign Brief amid growing controversy

Major agencies, including Leo Burnett Australia, Saatchi & Saatchi Australia and New Zealand, and Publicis Worldwide Australia, have severed ties with Campaign Brief, an Australian trade publication that covers the marketing-advertising industry.

An agency spokesperson confirmed this to Campaign Asia-Pacific citing that the severing of ties is immediate and includes sending press releases, submissions and subscriptions of the publication’s 'BestAds' and 'The Work'. Independent agency Special has also followed suit. 

This decision follows the escalating outrage over the publication’s male-dominated double-page spread in the ‘Work 2024’ awards feature. The immediate trigger was a double-page spread showcasing Australia's top advertising creatives, all 20 of which were men. This blatant lack of female representation, coupled with Campaign Brief's ‘Best Ads’ rankings listing only one woman (Tara Ford) among top creatives, ECDs, and CDs, ignited a firestorm of criticism across social media.

The exodus comes on the heels of The Clemenger Group’s decision last week to cancel its subscription, affecting subscription with agencies like Clemenger BBDO, CHEP, Colenso BBDO, Traffik, Redhanded Agency, and Clemenger UnLTD. Clemenger posted a statement on LinkedIn, “This is a great industry. But we can all do more to make it inclusive and supportive of the people within it. As part of this, we want to partner with organisations that encourage growth, positivity, and progression. For that reason, we’ll be ending our subscription with Campaign Brief and Bestadsontv.com.”

Clemenger BBDO’s CEO, Dani Bassil, shared the post, to add: “A statement from us at Clemenger. It’s time for a new future for all of us.”

The incident has become a lightning rod, highlighting the pervasive lack of racial and gender diversity within Australia's creative sector.

Jeremy Willmott, creative director at Paper Moose, said: “The fact that no one spotted that a double-page spread of industry leaders featured only men is a huge red flag. Sure, this is an industry problem, but it’s up to our media to craft an appropriate narrative to drive our industry forward.”

Film director Charlotte Evans voiced the frustration felt by many: “It's 2024, and nothing has changed. Why are we still having these conversations about the lack of female representation? There are incredible champions of diversity, but there's clearly still a huge amount of work to do. Senior creatives, reach out to female directors. Have a coffee with them. Take a chance on them. That's the only way this industry will change.”

Evans further challenged those already successful: “And to the directors who are winning jobs, when was the last time you worked with a female DOP? Or a female editor? You can help solve this issue of inequality as well.”

The Advertising Council of Australia reports women hold 42% of senior management positions in advertising agencies. Yet, Campaign Brief's feature reveals the underrepresentation of women in senior creative roles. Tony Hale, CEO of the Advertising Council of Australia, stated, "It is immensely disappointing that we still need to have this discussion."

The controversy extends beyond gender. Campaign Brief's policy of allowing anonymous comments, widely criticised for fostering a culture of sexism and bullying, has also been condemned. The publication has apologised for its “thoughtless representation” and removed the anonymous comment feature.

Co-publisher Michael Lynch stated: “This controversy has made us determined to up our game and be more aware of important issues in our industry and make sure we do a better job representing the whole Australian advertising industry going forward.”

Meanwhile, Darren Woolley, founder and CEO of Trinity, talks about the long-standing tensions between the publication and the industry: "The publication’s business model… has been a source of both joy and irritation. The editorial philosophy, particularly the encouragement of toxic and destructive anonymous commentary, has repeatedly angered the industry and prompted action."

Freelance creative director Carly Williams said: “It’s wonderful to read the recent laments and fervour for change… but good intentions are useless if they don’t turn into actions. Don't let the past couple of days solve the problem; let it be the beginning of consistently doing better.”