Tonight's episode of Mad Men ("Waldorf Stories") surrounds the Clio Awards. A commercial done by Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce is nominated, and even though Peggy believes the original idea was hers and that her contribution should be recognized, she isn't invited to represent the agency at the ceremony.This very thing happened to me. Back in the late 1980s, a campaign I worked on won a Clio. I not only wasn't sent to the ceremony, I didn't even get a statue. Why would I? I only wrote all the copy.
I did, however, get a copy of the award certificate with my name listed, and the haircare company I worked for back then paid to have it framed. At the time, I was exuberant.
Didn't occur to me until this evening that I was passed over not because my contribution wasn't important -- it was vital. I was too junior. And back then, I acted like a girl (instead of a woman) on top of it. While my work was taken seriously, I wasn't.
I love Mad Men.
I've had a similar situation, too, and in retrospect I realized I was too naive to know I should have spoken up.
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