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The Conversation

Factual: Life Stories

Two women from different parts of the world share the stories of their lives

Two women from different parts of the world, united by a common passion, experience or expertise, share the stories of their lives.

The Conversation: Advertising Execs: Nunu Ntshingila and Vasudha Narayanan

Nunu and Vasudha

15/12/2014

Advertising Execs: Nunu Ntshingila and Vasudha Narayanan

BBC World Service - The Conversation, Advertising Execs: Nunu Ntshingila and Vasudha Narayanan

South Africa's first lady of advertising answers an Indian creative director's questions

Two pioneers in the world of advertising, an Apartheid-era trainee now on the global board of a top agency and the creative director challenging stereotypes in India.

As the chair of one of South Africa's largest agencies, Ogilvy and Mather, Nunu Ntshingila is among the highest ranking women in world advertising. Born in Soweto in the 1960s, she learned her trade under Apartheid, when both the working environment and the marketplace were racially divided. Later she had the job of marketing the 'new South Africa' as a tourist destination and has since overseen campaigns for some of the world's biggest brands. Nunu says she moved "from the struggle between black and white to the gender struggle" and talks about her limited ability to change the way black women are portrayed in advertising. 

Vasudha Narayanan is the executive creative director at the Lowe Lintas agency in India. Based in Mumbai she says advertising is not an easy job - especially for women - as the unconventional working hours and frequent parties can raise eyebrows in conservative society. Vasudha says she is conscious about the influence her adverts have on society. She says "It's men who need to change their attitudes - we try and encourage men to behave better"

(Photo: Advertising executives Nunu Ntshingila (left) and Vasudha Narayanan)

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