J. Walter Thompson has kicked off the second year of its Helen Lansdowne Resor (HLR) Scholarship, an international opportunity designed to support and promote talented, creative, female advertising students.
Named after Helen Lansdowne Resor, the industry’s and J. Walter Thompson’s first female copywriter, the HLR Scholarship aims to support young women of diverse backgrounds from around the world who aspire to join the creative ranks. The scholarship hopes to address a major challenge for the global industry, where women, who make up 46.4 percent of the advertising industry, comprise just 11 percent of the creative directors in the U.S.
Last year’s scholarship recipient group, across South Asia, North America, MEA, LatAm and Europe, included students from American University of Sharjah, Miami Ad School Europe and Pratt Institute.
“I truly believe that diversity of spirit and diversity of people produces a diversity of ideas that only help to fuel the creative solutions we provide to our client partners. It’s fantastic that something like the HLR Scholarship can help to create the kind of change we want to see in the ad world,” said Tamara Ingram, CEO, J. Walter Thompson Company.
The HLR Scholarship will award five individual scholarships up to USD 10,000. Additionally, each HLR Scholarship recipient will receive a paid summer internship with a J. Walter Thompson office in her respective region, a J. Walter Thompson mentor and a “first look” placement consideration upon graduation.
“Helen Lansdowne Resor created brilliant, groundbreaking work because she was a brilliant and groundbreaking creative. Her work has shaped the way we make work today. There are likely so many more Helens in the world waiting for their opportunity to break into the industry,” commented Matt Eastwood, CCO, J. Walter Thompson Company.
Established in partnership with the 4A’s during the agency’s 150th anniversary in 2014, the HLR Scholarship has been promoted at leading industry events such as the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, Spikes Asia and Advertising Week in New York City.
