The Representation of Women in Advertising: Quantitative and Qualitative Inequality in Spanish Creativity

Abstract

In Spain, prior empirical evidence confirms the lack of equal and non-discriminatory representation of women in advertising discourse. Moreover, studies on the situation of women in advertising firms prove the underrepresentation of females in creative departments. In this paper, we have applied a novel method to analyse the possible existence of a relationship between the persistence of gender stereotypes in advertising and the production structures of advertising companies (with particular emphasis on the gender composition of creative departments). Using a quantitative content analysis technique, we studied spots included in the Anuncios creative magazine yearbooks during the period (2008-2011) as units of analysis.