See It & Be It: Ad Agencies Need Young Talent

The young and the creative have been the engine driving advertising agencies for decades. But those who once joined this business with dreams of making the next standout television commercial are no longer drawn to the industry in the same way. Some view advertising as stodgy—who wants to make a 30-second TV commercial when everyone they know is cutting the cord?—and some are lured by the riches and prestige of the technology industry.

The result is that even storied agencies like McCann, which has produced campaigns such as the 1971 “Hilltop” ad for Coca-Cola, now find themselves desperate for young people at the moment when the traditional advertising industry is struggling as never before to adapt to a changing media landscape that these same young people are shaping.

Sydney Ember, in this The New York Times article, explores the challenges ad agencies are facing to draw in young talent—and what they’re doing to help change the tide. Read the full article here.