DDB Group Aotearoa Launches The Ad Gab Podcast to Celebrate Women in Advertising

Recognising the invaluable contribution of women across the global advertising industry, DDB Group Aotearoa is preparing to launch its inaugural podcast series, The Ad Gab.

Making its debut to coincide with International Women’s Day, Saturday 8 March 2025, the first episode will be dedicated to mentorship and how it has evolved over time. It will feature Kate Lines, head of business management, and Phoebe Rooney, junior copywriter.

Kate who has a long and distinguished career in advertising and has been with the agency since 2016, has played a crucial role in Phoebe’s career development, mentoring her as part of the DDB Group Phyllis Project. This annual progamme was launched five years ago and is specifically designed to support and advance women within the Group through mentoring, training and advocacy.

Priya Patel, CEO of DDB Group Aotearoa, says she’s thrilled with the enthusiasm women across the agency have shown for both the ongoing Phyllis scheme and this new podcast series.

“It’s genuinely rewarding to see such strong bonds across the business from our interns to our executive team and this podcast does a brilliant job of celebrating those female connections and amplifying their perspectives," she said.

"We know the true way to champion gender equality is by simply hiring and promoting more women where there is imbalance and whilst we are a constant work in progress, we’re pleased that our creative department is currently filled with 40% women, with 50% of those in senior positions. These are the women who are helping shape our content, our programmes and our policies.”

Veronica Copestake, the creative director who developed the podcast series with other women across the Group, says, “As a senior female creative, I am passionate about supporting and advancing women’s visibility in creative departments across the industry. With The Ad Gab, we wanted a platform to show how women support each other, how the industry is moving forward and to do it in a way that celebrates the power of female friendships.”

Other episodes in The Ad Gab series will cover the juggle of parenthood, breaking glass ceilings, confident leadership and the importance of gender diversity – supported by pay parity – in the creative sector. 

Nikki McKelvie, MD of DDB Aotearoa, says the development of the podcast is the result of building on the current inclusion and diversity (iD) initiatives the company offers its employees.

“Our iD vision is to have New Zealand’s most inclusive culture where everyone, everywhere, every day feels valued, empowered and a real sense of belonging.

“Our hope is that through this podcast series, The Ad Gab, we are able to increase visibility of the incredible women across our organisation, as well as celebrate women in the industry in an authentic and meaningful way.”

The Phyliis Project, led by Karen Sew Hoy, people experience director and Liz Knox, managing director group operations, kicks off on International Women’s Day for the fifth year.

The Ad Gab will be available on Spotify and YouTube.