According to the Gerety Awards, it always becomes news when an ad award show jury makes 50/50 gender parity. Despite all the talk, most jury members are still men. Because of this, the awards sent purple moustaches to prominent female leaders in the advertising industry, and asked them to pose for a picture with the question: What does a woman have to do to get onto an advertising jury?

Svetlana Copic, founder of No Agency and who was behind the campaign for the awards, says, "As a festival with the unique approach to gender equality, the Gerety Awards had both the credibility and the courage to turn its call for entries into something much bigger."

"After decades of the 'one girl in the jury' situation, the change has finally started to happen. But this is just the beginning and we need to keep the conversation going. Sometimes, mocking the status quo is the best way to change it," adds Copic.

Launched in January 2019, the Gerety Awards marks the first time that a jury has been brought together to select the best in advertising — all advertising, not just advertising made for women — through the female lens.

According to the awards, women make 80% of purchasing choices. They create a benchmark that is relevant to the market reality, all while "correcting an industry norm of male-dominated juries".

The entry deadline is Friday, 13 March. All types of media can be entered into any of the 10 Gerety Awards categories, which include:
  • CUTS (like a diamond) Media
  • Innovation
  • Entertainment
  • Communication
  • Craft
  • Experience
  • Works for Good
  • Health
  • Pharma, and
  • Portfolios.
All advertising works broadcast between January 2019 and the deadline above are eligible for entry and the works are judged on two criteria, including originality of the idea and its execution.?

For more information, visit www.geretyawards.com. You can also follow the Gerety Awards on Facebook, Twitter or on Instagram.