Australian Women in Advertising in the Twentieth Century

When did Australian women first enter the advertising industry? The stereotypical advertising executive might be a pony-tailed, Ferrari-driving, young-ish man, but women have worked in Australian advertising agencies from the first years of the modern industry, and today they comprise half of the industry's workforce. Australian Women in Advertising in the Twentieth Century rescues these women from their obscurity. By employing a broader definition of advertising than usual, this study reveals the important role women have played in the development of the Australian advertising industry, sheds light on women's struggle to reach the higher echelons of the industry, and considers why the popular image of the advertising executive is at such variance from the reality. The experiences of these remarkable women across a century of Australian advertising provide valuable information on the role of gender in the development of this ubiquitous industry, as well as the encroachment of consumer culture.