AdWomen: A Century of Women in Advertising Opens at London’s Museum of Brands
The Museum of Brands and the History of Advertising Trust will unveil AdWomen, a groundbreaking exhibition that traverses 100 years of advertising’s influence on women’s societal roles.
Opening on Friday November 8th 2024 until April 28th 2025, the exhibition reveals how iconic advertisements have both reflected and shaped perceptions of women. Featuring celebrated ads from the 1920s to today, including the powerful ‘This Girl Can’ campaign for Sport England and classic spots from Maltesers and Oxo, AdWomen invites visitors to consider how brands have historically influenced – and at times empowered – women’s roles.
LBB’s Olivia Atkins spoke with London’s Museum of Brands exhibition curator Alice Kain and Ogilvy UK’s chief strategy officer Jo Arden to discuss.
LBB> The AdWomen exhibition showcases 100 years of women in advertising. How has the portrayal of women evolved, and what key milestones reflect the biggest shifts in gender representation?
Alice> The exhibition is a fascinating opportunity to see 100 years of change through objects and images, and a powerful reminder of how society has created a truly visual century. The shifting roles of women are presented through five themes in the exhibition, which look at the representation of women in areas such as health, beauty, family, expertise and empowerment. Obviously key social changes are marked, such as employment during World War II, the women’s liberation movement and the diversification of representation in contemporary advertising.
LBB> Why did it feel that now is the right time to put this exhibition together?
Alice> I joined the Museum of Brands around 18 months ago and one of my first conversations was with the team at the History of Advertising Trust, who have co-curated the exhibition content. We could both see the potential of our collections to enhance the stories we can tell, there are many crossovers in materials, interests and themes. The museum is more object-based and the History of Advertising Trust houses more digital material, archival collections and works on paper. The History of Advertising Trust had recently collaborated with South Shore Productions on a film for Channel 4 called ‘Mad Women’, which is also on view in the exhibition. This documentary was a catalyst for our concept for the exhibition, and we’ve expanded the ideas within it to cover a whole century of representation.
LBB> What role do you think advertising plays in currently shaping societal views on gender, and how has the industry contributed to both the stereotyping and de-stereotyping of women over the years?
Alice> I am a firm believer that looking back at the past enables us to address, assess and appreciate changes and recognise where we must continue to see progress. The exhibition provides the evidence that a one dimensional portrait of women as housewives and mothers was perpetuated by advertising during the middle of the last century. However, what I have found fascinating are the advertisements of the 1920s and '30s, where women have a wide range of identities – sporting and athletic women, adventurous women driving cars and riding bikes, women exploring new technologies such as the Kodak girl using her Brownie camera. I found it fascinating that, from my perspective, these women of 100 years ago feel more relevant to me than images of post-war housewives taking joy in ironing.
LBB> Many iconic ads, such as those from Dove’s 'Real Beauty' campaign and 'This Girl Can,' have challenged traditional gender norms. How important is it for brands to move beyond outdated portrayals and instead inspire the next generation of women through more empowering narratives?
Alice> Stereotyping harms everyone in society. The exhibition makes it clear that being seen and recognised within advertising has become one of the most powerful tools within the industry today. I was genuinely moved by the commercial reel curated by the History of Advertising Trust for this exhibition. From watching early adverts – which can feel both uncomfortable and comic in their approach – to adverts from my own childhood and realising how those shaped my own ideas of what a woman was, and then finally watching a groundbreaking commercial such as ‘This Girl Can’, it made me truly recognise the shift in generational thinking and I find that experience hopeful for our future.
LBB> What did the process of putting on this exhibition entail? How long have you been working on it, how did you assemble the corresponding team and decide what to include?
Alice> We’ve gone through thousands of adverts and objects over the past 18 months putting this exhibition together. The History of Advertising Trust had a solid body of research from their collection from the previous work on the ‘Mad Women’ documentary and this provoked a lot of discussion and content. From my perspective, I have been getting to know the collection at the museum and in the enormous storage facility that we have, which is based outside of London. It’s been a bit of a treasure hunt at times, finding unexpected and beautiful objects. That’s the thrill of putting together an exhibition such as this, now being able to show this material to the public feels like a very exciting privilege.
LBB> The exhibition highlights trailblazing women like Rosie Arnold and Kate Stanners. How do you hope their/your achievements and creative contributions can inspire the next generation of female talent in advertising and beyond?
Jo> The legendary tennis player Billie Jean King said, ‘If you can see it, you can be it.’ Ensuring that the valuable contribution of women is brought to the fore and celebrated reinforces that every talented person belongs in our industry. Role models are vital. Whilst in numbers there have been fewer women, the sheer creative brilliance and the impact they have made speaks to their talent and their tenacity.
LBB> With gender equality still an ongoing challenge, what steps can the advertising industry take to ensure women, especially those behind the scenes, are given equal opportunities and recognition for their craft?
Jo> It’s the exciting opportunity of the people working in our industry right now – to solve the equality issue. Our industry bodies (many of them sponsors of this exhibition) have developed equality strategies which support real systemic change, if we apply them across our businesses. The WACL 50% CEO playbook is an unbeatable resource to help people understand and then apply evidence-based levers of change. On a day-to-day basis: check your bias, be generous with credit, raise and opportunity, remember that big changes come from small decisions.
LBB> In an industry often criticised for perpetuating harmful stereotypes, how do you ensure that cultural nuances are respected while still creating bold, stereotype-breaking ads that resonate across diverse audiences?
Jo> Fill your businesses with diverse talent. The greater variety of experience you bring together, the better the start point for every brief. If your people are all the same, it shows in the work. Use research well: speaking to the public is essential, not just an add-on (and yes, real people, not synthetic people). Be challenging and curious and bold but do everything you can to be confident that the people you see in your ads would thank you for how you portray them.
Click here to book tickets to the exhibition at the Museum of Brands in London.
