How bad is ageism in adland?

It's never a surprise to witness accusations of the advertising industry's obsession with youth. However, while that claim usually pertains only to the content that marketers create, it seems it could also easily be levelled at the practices of the industry itself.

As digital adoption reaches its peak, rumours have grown of older employees from the analogue age finding themselves unceremoniously pushed out for younger candidates; fluent digital natives with a better handle on software and tech. But how much truth is there to these tales? Is agesim rife in adland or is the next generation simply taking its right of succession?

In a new video from Campaign, we asked a trio of experts from three different backgrounds to provide their opinions on the subject:

• Jacqui Barratt, CEO and founder of the Salt media recruitment agency, lends her view on the policies employers have taken and how this will effect team potential.
• Antony Yiu, head of digital North Asia for MEC, explains the digital landscape and potential skill gaps.
• Andrew Harrison, director of Invisible Thread, supplies his perspective as an older advertising veteran who has continued to thrive.

Though their findings (as one might imagine) are not the cheeriest, the upside is that they believe that the root symptoms of any industry-wide age-based discrimination are treatable.