Letter to a female creative

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Dear Miss Ford:
Your letter of recent date has been received in the Inking and Painting Department for reply.Women do not do any of the creative work in connection with preparing the cartoons for the screen, as that work is performed entirely by young men.

For this reason girls are not considered for the training school. The only work open to women consists of tracing the characters on clear celluloid sheets with India ink and filling in the tracing on the reverse side with point according to drections.

In order to apply for a position as “Inker” or “Painter” it is necessary that one appear at the Studio, bringing samples of pen and ink and water color work. It would not be advisable to come to Hollywood with the above specifically in view, as there are really very few openings in comparison with the number of girls who apply. Yours very truly,
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This letter, sent by Disney in response to a job inquiry made by one woman who applied for a creative position, is dated 1938.

Fortunately, 21 years later, a letter like this one wouldn’t have a chance to be written. In 1959 in USA came to life a new law, stating that no candidate can be rejected because of his sex.

This letter approaches us the reality of those years, and makes us feel fortunate, considering legal advances and social awareness that we have developed since that time.

Source: Creative Skirts.
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2009: European Year of Creativity and Innovation

“Imagine. Create. Innovate.”

This is the slogan which European Union has chosen to promote this New Year: the European Year of Creativity and Innovation. (Can read the European Parliament resolution here).

According to Jan Figel, the Education Commissioner, there has never been better time for Europe to be flexible.

Imagine, create and innovate is what AdWomen wants to promote and we begin the year with the biggest energy ever! In this blog every day you will find the most interesting advertising works created by/for women and the most relevant studies related to women in advertising.

Your participation is more than welcome in AdWomen. Opinions, news, works… All these together will help us approach the female side of advertising.

Happy New Creativity Year with AdWomen

Source: European Union

Men's things

Some months ago, I was in a grocery store in Edinburgh and one female friend said to me: "Look to that packaging". They were some chocolate bars that she usually bought and the text said 'It's not for girls'.

That diferenciation by the gender atractted my attention and I asked by myself why they had chosen that communication estrategy. Today I have decided to research. Yorkie, the brand, belongs to Nestlé and they explain the campaign like this:

YORKIE - 'IT'S NOT FOR GIRLS'

In 2001 the Yorkie "It’s Not for Girls" campaign was launched because, in today’s society, there aren’t many things that a man can look at and say that’s for him.

The 'Not For Girls' campaign theme for Yorkie uses humour, which resonates with today’s British male and simply states that Yorkie is positioning itself as a chocolate bar for men who need a satisfying hunger buster. With five solid chunks of chocolate, it’s a man sized eat!

Although I haven't try that brand, I feel that I'm also the target of chocolatine bars. Although, personally, I'm faithful to Snickers chocolatine bars, which communication I think it isn't directed either to me.

I don't ask for the chocolatine bars communication direct for me or for the rest of girls, because I think they wouldn't get either right with that diferenciation... Anyway, targets (or no-targets) do what they want.

Source: Nestlé UK