Mother London Raises Money With A Side Of Controversy

Raising money for a worthwhile cause is admirable; that much is undeniable. However, doing something stupid for a good reason doesn't make it any less stupid. UK-based agency Mother London were reminded of this last week after facing criticism for a Placement Charity Raffle in which student teams were encouraged to donate upwards of £10 ($15) for the chance to win a one week creative placement.

The issue which many people had against the idea, was of course not the charity aspect - but the implication that one could buy their way into a placement at a well-known agency. Distaste was raised for various reasons; firstly for those promoting the industry as meritocracy this was a slap in the face, and secondly because of the vast barrier to entry already existing for those who don't live in London. Advertising is a tough business to break into; the idea that donating a 'tenner' could fast-track your resume is a bitter pill to swallow.

Charity or not, this is fucking shameful. https://t.co/LUzputemRU

— Ash Billinghay (@Ash_Billinghay) December 10, 2015

Ash Billinghay, writing for the Professional Copywriters' Network, vents:

My main issue is the nerve, the absolute audacity, and the complete moral wrongness to suggest that in order to get a chance at the small window of opportunity that a placement offers, you should be expected to exchange cash.

Others reacted with shock and some measure of anger:

@Ash_Billinghay @procopywriters Anything unpaid is a barrier to mobility. That's just taking the piss.

— Swissss (@Swissss) December 10, 2015

@Ash_Billinghay I will not PAY to be patronised with a seat I randomly won. I fear for those scrambling to enter the job market.

— Honor Clement-Hayes (@mutatedmusings) December 10, 2015

@Ash_Billinghay "For just a one-time donation, you too can come to sunny America and grow sugar on our exclusive plantation..."

— Bauble Bardsley (@bobblebardsley) December 10, 2015

In a piece for Shellsuit Zombie, Honor Clement-Hayes writes,

Mother, you are devaluing talent. In an industry that’s fuelled by the sweat of hungry creators, you hold a position of responsibility to those who would toil for you. How can I respect you, how can I want to work for you, how can I employ your services, when you treat people this way?

Ironically, in the same week that this news was coming to light, Mother London was also listed as signing a Placement Poverty Pledge - agreeing to pay London Living Wage and transitioning to a freelancer salary after 3 months.

32 fantastic agencies have signed up to end #placementpoverty, get yours involved too. (thanks to @Campaignmag) pic.twitter.com/SWBSzEjTxw

— Stu (@Creature_Stu) December 10, 2015

How do we reconcile these two actions, charity against ill-conceived ideas, pledging for good versus doing something people find wrong.

The truth is agencies, like people, make mistakes. The problem is also wrapped up in the power of gestures. As anyone who has worked on a charity brief will know, a gesture is a powerful thing. Now of course, you and I know Mother aren't selling off Placements to the rich and well connected - after their Epic Strut they might actually want some talent in the building - but a gesture like this sets the wrong precedent. Despite the fact we hope it isn't true, it gives the impression that advertising is for those who can afford it.

In response to the controversy, a spokesperson for Mother told Adland,

The Save the Children initiative was conceived as a fun, lighthearted way of raising much-needed funds for a cause that everyone at Mother feels very passionately about.

At Mother, we have built a strong reputation, over the past 19 years, for offering one of the best placement schemes in the industry, both in terms of payment and career opportunities. We are very proud to say that many of today's creative leaders got their first start in the industry in this way, and we hope to nurture many more talented individuals in future.

We are committed to offering as many placements as ever. We just wanted to offer an extra, non-talent-related, one, for a good cause.

Helping good causes is good. But reading their JustGiving page, the comments are telling of concerns other than helping children.

"great cause, great opportunity, would also be willing to stab a badger" says alexandemilycreative.com

"Keeping my fingers, toes and eyes crossed..." says Laura Mariesau, linking to her Behance profile.

And without a faintest sense of inhibition, one young man states it like it is:

"I’ve donated a tenner to help a good cause. I’ve got an ulterior motive to get that placement because I’m studying at UCA and experience is necessary" says Patrick O'Shaughnessy

So yes - while we support raising money, the fact people are posting their portfolio addresses along with a cash sum makes this whole thing feel too much like 'pay to win' for some people's comfort. Perhaps matching donations like-for-like would be a nice gesture at the point, given how passionately this London-based agency feels about opening their wallet for Save the Children.