Page 31 - AdNews magazine Jul-Aug 2021

#ONLYONEINTHEROOM was quietly formed last year after Chaudhuri called Melder and Gordhan in the midst of the global Black Lives Matter protests. The collective has now officially launched with professionals from across the advertising industry, representing more than 20 cultural backgrounds.
Melder, co-founder and creative partner at Cocoa Coffee Gunpowder and host of podcast Brown Riot, says the trio came together to initiate change in the industry.
“It probably doesn’t need to be said that the industry is a little bit generic and it just doesn’t reflect the makeup of Australia,” says Melder. “Therefore the work is not as good.”
As an industry that commoditises creativity, diversity needs to be ingrained within a business to provide clients with the most unique and innovative thinking. Palmer sees diversity as a “business imperative” with long-term financial benefits.
And there is evidence to back up her view. According to a Boston Consulting Group study, companies that have high diversity within their management teams reported 19% higher revenue due to innovation.
Gloster says the business case for diversity is “unarguably” stronger than ever before.
“For our industry specifically, one that spends its life advocating that creativity drives growth, we have been late to champion diversity as a driver in that outcome,” she says.
Western Sydney Ad School
The Western Sydney Ad School opened in 2020 to give students who were disadvantaged by location, cost or not knowing someone in the industry a chance to pursue a career in advertising. So far it has put through 35 students and gained support
from top agencies including DDB, CHE Proximity and BWM Dentsu. Founders and advertising veterans Rocky Ranallo and Matt Smith share why they think opening the school will help the industry.
How important is providing new pathways for talent outside adland’s usual pool of people? Very important as you can tell from the focus it’s getting around the world. It never used to be that way [but] somehow we all started talking to ourselves and live in
a self-indulgent eastern suburbs. I’m not sure how many agency creative people have been to Parramatta, but I suspect very few.
What impact will it have on diversity and creativity?
It’s simple. Ideas can come from anywhere. The more diverse a creative department is, the more diverse ideas you get. Ideas that are relatable with an emotional connection for all, not just a few.
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This page clockwise: Victoria’s Secret VS Collective; Department of Health and Human Services Victoria campaign by ThinkHQ; Dove Man+Care Resilience project.
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