Though the advertising industry is making progress in terms of equity and inclusion, there is still a ways to go. Sitting down with Ying-Poi De Lacy, Director at Massïf, we discuss the cornerstones to changing an inherently patriarchic industry to one of inclusion and equity.
Can you tell us a bit about your role and your journey to arriving there?
I’m a film director with Massif based in South Africa. I was cast in a commercial for a European cereal when I was 14 years old. I loved being on set and the feeling of collaboration and family, since then I knew I wanted to be a director. I went to film school at the University of the Witwatersrand after coming back from the ever so cliched gap year in London. Both my parents have advertising backgrounds on the agency side, and I knew that being able to work for a production house, in advertising, would be a great place to learn hard and fast. I joined Bouffant (sister company to Velocity Films) as a junior researcher for their six directors and helmed by Executive Producer Peter Carr. The company disbanded and a few of the directors and producers formed their own production house, Massif, which I was asked to come on board. After researching for 6 years and lots of hard work I had found my place as Massif’s first female director on their roster.
What barriers do women still face in our industry and how can we challenge them?
As women in this industry, we face two major problems. The first one being misogyny, which encompasses and breeds bias, exclusion and sexism. Although it feels like there are more and more women in positions of power in advertising both on client, agency and production sides, they are still met with resistance. I can speak from what I’ve observed and what I have experienced and there is still a long way to go. Misogyny feels so ingrained in some parts of the industry that some people don’t even notice when it’s happening and it can be subtle, but it is felt. Depending on who you’re working with, as a woman, you can feel the bias, the exclusion, the resistance and you’re constantly underestimated. It’s easy to feel knocked down and deflated, but we need to keep going, fight for your voice, fight for your place and stand up to this behavior because the industry is changing, slowly but surely.
The second problem is representation, or lack thereof. Representation and training are key in building up the women in this industry. But I am grateful for platforms such as Free The Work and Girl Gaze that are creating platforms for women filmmakers in advertising.
How do you use your position to build equitable teams that are diverse and balanced?
I’ve always gravitated to surrounding myself with women because it’s a space where I feel the most comfortable. I am lucky enough to have an incredible producer by my side, Chanelle Critchfield, who is also an amazing collaborator. With each job that comes in we sit together and talk about who we want on our crew, prioritizing diverse crews, and aiming to create collaborative and non-toxic working environments.
Who are your female advertising icons/role models and why?
I have two female directors that I look up to in advertising, the first being Sara Dunlop. I consider her a pioneer for female directors, considering she started her career when just 3% of directors were female, and she is still going strong! As a researcher I always came across names of the advertising greats in directing like Jonathan Glazer or Ringan Ledwidge and I would come across Sara Dunlop’s work, pause and say to myself, there’s a woman’s name in this mix! It made me feel like, yeah I am in the right industry and I can be great too! Her work and her approach to her work is inspiring. She is a great storyteller and has perfected the craft of being able to tell an extremely relatable, earnest, beautiful and complex story within the time constraints of a commercial. One of the first pieces of work I saw of hers was her spot for Levi’s called Beautiful Morning. It’s beautifully crafted and the misdirect is set up so well. A simple story told well and has stuck with me since, like so many of her other spots.
My second role model is Kim Gehrig. Her work is just so bold, powerful and unapologetic. She came into my life with a bang, with her spots for Libresse and Sport England. The ultimate girl power anthems!
What I admire about both directors is that they have not compromised their work and their voices to fit into a patriarchic industry.