Serviceplan becomes the first German agency group to pledge to Free The Bid

Free The Bid has an ambassador in Germany, and Serviceplan, Europe’s #1 independent agency group, has become the first agency group to pledge to it.

2017 wasn’t all bad. It was the year in which equality for women really began to be more than a dream far, far away. The equality movement was given a significant boost in film, TV, politics and advertising last year. And because these four influence popular culture, they helped the movement to spread – in business, in family structures and in everyday life.

What began with the Women’s March on Washington in 2016, culminated in the #MeToo and #TimesUp campaigns in 2017…

…and a critical shift in the way popular culture is created. In September 2016, awarded director, Alma Har-el, launched Free The Bid.

Did Free The Bid get off to a rollicking start? No. Inequality in film, TV and advertising has been entrenched for decades.

It had to work hard to spread outside its initial following of Pereira O’Dell, B-Reel, Mother, 180, FCB Global, DDB, Joan Agency and Phenomenon. But one year on, in October 2017, it had achieved 400% more women directors in pitches and 50% more women directors hired.

In November, Free The Bid arrived in Australia, with Photoplay director, Jasmin Tarasin at its helm. It had also by then launched in Brazil, South Africa and the UK as well as the US.

Free The Bid begins to work for a fairer TV & film production industry in Australia

The movement has now gained a solid foothold in Europe. Serviceplan has pledged to #FreeTheBid as German women directors join its site. And it has an ambassador there, director, Elisha Smith-Leverock.

Smith-Leverock commented, “I am really excited to be working with Free The Bid as its German Ambassador. And I am looking forward to helping it shine a light on our home-grown female talent. Another aspect that I want to focus on is building a community of women directors here where exchanges, creative or otherwise, can happen. It’s amazing that a big German Agency like Serviceplan has decided to lead the way by supporting Free The Bid.”