At the March 20 ADFEST 2025 panel discussion, “What Happens When Generational and Cultural Norms Collide?”, industry leaders tackled one of advertising’s most pressing challenges: bridging cultural and generational divides. Moderated by Valerie Madon, Chief Creative Officer of McCann Worldgroup Singapore, the discussion featured insights from Siddhi Yadav Machado (Executive Creative Director, McCann Mumbai), Preet Kaur (Senior Copywriter, McCann Singapore), and Babara Bian (Senior Creative Director, MRM China). Together, they explored the evolving landscape of representation, inclusion, and the shifting expectations of today’s workforce.

Advertising has come a long way. Decades ago, creative rooms were dominated by male voices—think Leo Burnett and his teams crafting campaigns with little to no female input. That changed in 1971 when Ilon Specht, a 23-year-old copywriter at McCann, penned the now-iconic L’Oréal Paris slogan, Because I’m Worth It. Frustrated by ads that spoke at women rather than to them, Specht’s words redefined empowerment, giving women a voice in an industry that had long sidelined their perspectives. Her impact remains a powerful reminder of the importance of challenging the status quo—an effort that continues today.

Despite strides toward inclusion, the reality remains uneven across different cultures. In India, deep-rooted traditions still discourage many women from asserting themselves in professional settings, making it critical for agencies to create environments that actively encourage female leadership. In China, young professionals, particularly women, face intense societal pressure to prioritise career success, often delaying marriage or parenthood out of fear that it could hinder their professional growth. With long hours and high expectations as the norm, work-life balance remains a challenge.

These concerns are not unique to Asia. Around the world, the tension between career ambition and personal responsibilities continues to shape workplace dynamics, particularly for young mothers navigating the delicate balance between visibility and boundaries. Yet, women persistently demonstrate that professional success and family life are not mutually exclusive.

For advertising agencies looking ahead, engaging Gen Z requires a fresh approach. This generation craves flexibility, mentorship, and hands-on learning experiences. While events like ADFEST provide a valuable glimpse into industry realities, organizations must take it further. One-size-fits-all empowerment programs won’t cut it—tailored, locally relevant initiatives are key.

For instance, mentorship programs in Mumbai may need to focus on confidence-building, while in Shanghai, they could emphasise strategies for managing stress in high-pressure work environments. Understanding these nuances will be essential in fostering the next wave of creative leaders.

ADFEST’s celebration of female creatives is a step in the right direction, but real progress requires collective effort. Companies that have successfully implemented inclusive policies—whether through flexible work arrangements, childcare support, or skills development programs—should share their insights to help create industry-wide change.

The ADFEST Buzz team caught up with Valerie to ask a few questions:

ADFEST: Given the wide range of cultural nuances across Asia, what’s the most important step companies can take to ensure young female creatives not only feel supported but are also empowered to step into leadership roles?

Valerie Madon: I think the key word here is the "nuance" in Asia. Because what we are realised is we are generalising a lot of challenges. It’s very important to listen. It’s almost as basic as that. Are we asking them – the female talent in each market – exactly what kind of challenges they face. How is the workplace being tailored to suit solutions against those challenges.

I feel our industry today is still generalising problems, especially in a market like our region that is so diverse culturally, we have to make a concerted effort to speak to the female talent in each office to understand what they are facing. While there is a lot of effort toward female empowerment, often it can be very Western-led. We’re not digging deeper to understand what our female talents are going through in these offices, in each unique environment.

ADFEST: Millennials and Gen Z are too often seen as disruptors of traditional workplace norms. How can agencies leverage this generational shift to create environments where young female talent thrives, rather than just survive?

Valerie Madon: I think the first notion to remove from our minds is that they’re disruptive. Because disruption sounds like a negative thing. It sounds like a hassle or a problem. But it’s what the world is. We have to make it work for them. Because they are the future, you know? Simply by chatting with them and asking what would make a really great workplace for them, one thing that came up quite unanimously is the need for fun. They want work to be fun. And that’s not surprising if you look at how they’re the generation driving platforms like TikTok as influencers.

They’re driven by job satisfaction, as we all are. But this younger generation is quite quick to assess whether the job is ideal based on how happy they are, and that comes down to – fun. Which is exactly what one should expect in a creative agency.

We sometimes become too corporate because we need to balance the books. But that can kill the fun for young people. While we all understand that the job can’t be fun all the time, we need to make a conscious effort to provide enough opportunities for young people so that they feel the real joy of being creative.

So that’s a meaningful observation that we got recently through speaking to our younger generation creative talent. Sometimes they may seem starry-eyed, but isn’t that what our industry should be? It’s all about having fun, being creative, thinking outside the box and trying crazy things. Too often we forget about that.