An Assessment of Why UK Creative Departments Lose Talented Women: The Lost Girls

In the UK, our advertising agency creative departments are losing out on up to 50% of junior female talent graduating from directly relevant creative higher education courses, a group this research terms "The Lost Girls." Statistics from this study and others show women are more likely to graduate from creative advertising, art, and design programs, but far less likely to secure permanent jobs as art directors and copywriters than their male peers. This article contends that drop out of entry-level female talent is a significant contributing factor to the notable gender imbalance in UK advertising agency creative departments. Based on in-depth interviews and small focus groups with a number of women in various positions, from advertising students to creative directors, this study explores potential reasons for the loss of talent and how industry and educational institutions can collaborate to help more women get into and thrive in advertising agency creative careers.