Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Mark Sweney

‘A hard business’: UK’s illustrious ad industry tainted by burnout and inequality

Nick Kamen in the launderette in boxer shorts
Levi’s 1980s advert starring Nick Kamen, from the ‘glory days’ of British advertising. Photograph: PR Image/Levi's

From Nick Kamen in a launderette for Levi’s, Guinness’ fanatical surfer and Cadbury’s drumming gorilla to Christmas tearjerkers from John Lewis, Britain boasts an illustrious and enviable pedigree when it comes to creating world-class advertising.

And yet, last year the UK ad industry recorded the biggest annual rate of staff turnover in more than a decade, as problems including burnout, pay, gender and racial inequality led to advertising losing its edge in the battle to attract and retain creative talent.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.