The 3% Movement is recognizing the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity for setting new criteria for jurors that prohibits work that reflects gender bias and inequality.
“As the most prestigious global creative award, Cannes sets the standard for what work agencies and brands aspire to make,” Kat Gordon told DIVERGE. “It’s a powerful stance to remind us all that great work can inspire our peers and promote our clients without denigrating anyone in the process.”
The new criterion asks the jury to review and ask questions of the work with empathy. Members of the jury are encouraged to consider if the person portrayed in the image or copy was themselves, their daughters or sons, sisters or brothers, fathers or mothers. If they feel that the image doesn’t treat the person as an equal they should speak up and object.
“Each piece of work listed on the shortlists and winners lists will be published in the names of the jury members. Effectively they are standing up and affirming that they believe the work does not objectify or perpetuate gender bias,” said Louise Benson, Executive Festival Director Lions Health, Lions Entertainment and Eurobest, in a statement. “The work the juries award reflects and acts as a guide for the industry.”
“The 3% Movement congratulates Cannes Lions for its new stipulations against negative or objectifying work. Equal, if not more, of the praise belongs to Madonna Badger, who has tirelessly crusaded for respectful work through her #WomenNotObjectscampaign, and who raised this issue with Cannes,” added Kat Gordon, founder of The 3% Movement. “The language added to the Cannes rules – that asks jurors to do a gut check around the respectability of ad portrayals – belongs on every ad agency creative brief. There is no place for objectification of any person in modern media.”
In 2014, Cannes Lions launched the See It Be It Programme, an accelerator that supports women creatives and encourages advocacy for industry-wide gender equality. In 2017, Madonna Badger, chief creative officer of Badger & Winters and the leader behind the #WomenNotObjects campaign, was named as Ambassador for the See It Be It program and was largely influential in helping Cannes Lions to establish this change for their jury.
Benson also explained that See It Be It was introduced as a way to improve the mix of voices represented at the Festival and Madonna was chosen as this year’s Ambassador because she’s an incredible role model for change.
“This will be the fourth year we guide a group of creative women through the once-in-a-lifetime See It Be It experience. This will create a global network of more than 50 future female leaders, each one an ambassador for change and mentor to the next generation, helping to keep the gender disparity conversation at the top of the agenda,” Benson added.
Since 2012, The 3% Movement has advocated for agencies and brands to support more female and diverse creative leadership and encourages a more inclusive media diet that eliminates bias of any kind. The movement includes an online community across multiple social platforms, a student scholarship fund, proprietary research, agency consulting, a 3% certification program and an annual conference. The 2017 event will be held Nov. 2 and 3 in Manhattan.
In 2014, Cannes Lions launched the See It Be It Programme, an accelerator that supports women creatives and encourages advocacy for industry-wide gender equality. In 2017, Madonna Badger, chief creative officer of Badger & Winters and the leader behind the #WomenNotObjects campaign, was named as Ambassador for the See It Be It programme and was largely influential in helping Cannes Lions to establish this change for their jury.
