Saatchi & Saatchi signs up to global 'Free The Bid' initiative in support of female directors

Today Saatchi & Saatchi announces taking the pledge, and joining Free the Bid as a global network.

Free the Bid is a pledge to give women directors a voice in advertising. It is an initiative that started in the US in 2016 by Film Director Alma Har'el and Pereira & O'Dell's PJ Pereira and has taken the media industry by storm since its inception. Created to fix the diversity issue within directing, the pledge asks that as an agency for every triple bid we work on, that one bid is from a woman. Pledging to Free the Bid is also a commitment to seek out diversity in all other senses in the Saatchi & Saatchi network and in the wider industry

Free the Bid have an online Women Director’s directory which has been created to act as a tool for everyone who has taken the pledge. This is updated on a weekly basis and works as a tool to find female talent. It includes both signed and unsigned talent and can be filtered by genre or region. http://freethebid.com/women-directors/

Kate Stanners, Saatchi & Saatchi Chairwoman and Global Chief Creative Officer said, “Initiatives like this one are exactly what the industry needs to make a positive change. We’ve reached a real tipping point in society now where issues which were previously dismissed and covered up no longer can be. We need to ensure that momentum doesn’t stop and that initiatives like free the bid, which seek diversity at a fundamental stage in our work, are championed. I’m so happy to be on board and to see more amazing women deservedly come to the forefront of our industry.”

For more information on the #FreeTheBid Pledge, visit the Free The Bid website.