Recently, I have read several good articles about ageism in advertising. Insightful pieces penned by industry leaders, creative doyens and provocative thinkers….all successful agency vets.
Now, whenever a demographic group claims an injustice, I am inclined to believe them. No questions asked.
And certainly, advertising has never been known for its moral high ground. Our industry is known to treasure what’s new, fresh, hot…. pick your adjective. The digital revolution tilts the field in favor of people born in the last 30 years. And the huge profit margins have been squeezed out of the business. So, it often makes more sense to eliminate one $300K salary than five people earning $60K.
Who amongst us hasn’t heard the expression, “cast the meeting”? Which is a euphemism for putting young, attractive people in a new business meeting. I guess that’s what you’d expect from the industry that gave us the expression, “sex sells.”
When dogs wear out their welcome, they are often said to be “sent to a farm.” Same with old creatives. Only we spell it “Pharm.” As in pharmaceutical advertising.
And, let’s face it, we’d probably all make the prejudicial assumption that the fresh. new digital idea is more likely to come from the tattoed 26 year-old than the 61-year-old in pearls.
And yet.…
I am a member of this aggrieved group. And I am not sure I feel the exact same way. I do not really consider myself a victim of an -ism -- certainly compared to all the other more odious -isms prevalent today.
So, before we call the ACLU, let’s examine why this may be the case.
Did we price ourselves out of the market?
I’m not sure if it is about ageism or money? (Or if it matters?) But most people I know, at one time or another, make a career move for big money. It may be to work at a desperate shop. Or, perhaps on a difficult client. These types of jobs generally pay more. Usually, a lot more. But was it a deal with the devil? A sell out? Did we jump at a big pay day….only to find ourselves kicked to the side, priced out of the market 3 years later?
Did we stop doing what made us valuable in the first place?
Many people I know were successful copywriters. Or talented art directors. And then, they become something else. A creative director. Which is to say a manager. Or, a presenter. Overseer. Delegator. In other words, they stopped doing what they did in the first place. They stopped honing, practicing and improving their craft. And, we all know, that just because you’re an excellent art director, does not make you a good group head. (In fact, some would argue that it does not.)
Did we ignore the one constant in advertising?
The cliché says that the only constant in advertising is change. And the industry has undergone more metamorphosis in the last 20 years than the 50 years before that. Isn’t it incumbent to adapt to change? The fifty-somethings that I I know who are still gainfully employed are as culturally and digitally savvy as most twenty-year-olds. Staying up-to-date with technology is not easy. But it may be easier than learning a whole new career.
Did we get swept up in the trends rather than the fundamentals?
I find the people who are still working at agencies are the ones who continued to develop their craft. Their design skills. Their writing skills. Their insights. Conversely, the ones who rode styles and trends (eg. “MTV-style videos,” “quirky, dark humor,” ) seem to be underemployed.
Did we get too comfortable?
This is a tough one. Do some people slow down and coast at a certain age? Sure.
Everyone has stories of working for 2 straight weeks for a big pitch or presentation. This is fun if your 28 but not so much if you’re 50 with an hour commute to the suburbs. Most 50’s year olds don’t want to do this. The question is, …should we have to? Do we measure ourselves by how late we stay – or what we produce?
Did we mis-manage our careers?
If we believe that advertising, like baseball, is not kind to people over 40, did we think about this when we were 30? Did we have a plan? Did we establish a good reputation and make good connections? Did we put in the effort to keep current? Did we act like a jerk because we could? Did we party too hard? What would we do differently if we could?
Is it ageism or money? Or does it matter?
We know that baseball players in the their 40s are not readily hired. I assume they manage their lives, savings and careers accordingly. A lot of good creatives have evolved their careers to be teachers, consultants or novelists.
I don’t mean to be blaming the victims. And if it comes across that way, then I apologize. I’m just trying to help more of us not become victims.