More than you see: lack of diversity in Brazilian creative departments

ABSTRACT

This study explores the experiences of Black and White women creatives working in advertising agencies in São Paulo, Brazil. In total, 28 in-depth interviews were conducted, and data was analysed through the lens of intersectionality theory. Six themes emerged: 1) White men rule the department, 2) the power of white privilege, 3) breaking the (white) glass ceiling, 4) tokenism at work, 5) segregated accounts and 6) stereotypes: From gender to race. White men were found to reign over Brazilian advertising agencies. While women were underrepresented as a whole, differences were found between the experiences of Black and White women working in these agencies. Specifically, Black women faced a unique set of challenges relative to White women, including but not limited to racism, sexism, stereotypes, and even roadblocks to their career advancement put in place by individuals of their own gender. Limitations and directions for future research are outlined.

KEYWORDS:

• Gender
• women
• race
• minorities
• Brazil

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Marta Mensa

Marta Mensa is a professor at the University of North Texas. She teaches Inclusive Advertising and Research in Advertising. Dr. Mensa has received two fellowships: one for participating in the Women’s Leadership Programme at the LSE in London and another for pursuing a Post Doctorate in Gender Studies at UNAM in Mexico. Her research interests include gender studies and advertising in Latin America.

Sophia Mueller

Sophia Mueller is an assistant professor in the Department of Strategic Communication at the University of Miami School of Communication. She completed her Bachelors (International Business) and Masters (Business Administration) at San Diego State University, and her Ph.D. at the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communication. Her research interests include purpose, brand activist, and corporate social responsibility messages in advertising. As she likes to look at all sides of a given issue, she also assesses practitioner points of view, and their experiences in advertising agencies. Her studies have been presented at conferences around the world, including at the American Academy of Advertising and the International Conference on Research in Advertising. Her research has been published in the Journal of Advertising, International Journal of Advertising, and Journal of Current Issues and Research in Advertising.