Behind every successful man is a group of underpaid women, says satirical ad

The fundamental absurdity of the gender pay gap is often best addressed through similarly absurd creative, which is the approach agency Mortierbrigade takes in a darkly comic film featuring a “feminist” boss who is anything but. The spot, created for ZIJkant—a progressive women’s movement dedicated to wage equality in Belgium—features a manager named Jef, who’s a self-proclaimed feminist boss and has just been named Manager of the Year. Jef flatly explains the secret to his success: employing a team made up entirely of women, who are high-performing, dependable and, most important, 20% cheaper than men. The ad launches today, which is Employee Day—previously known as Secretary’s Day—in Belgium. The bleak humor is executed perfectly by directing duo Lionel Goldstein of Czar—best known recently for their excellent Axe spots. In Belgium, women are still paid 20% less than men, which is only a 1% improvement from 2024. “By using irony, we want to highlight that wage inequality and sexist stereotypes are still very much present in the workplace,” said Julie Van Garsse, director of ZIJkant. “What better moment to do that than on ‘Secretary’s Day,’ recently renamed ‘Employee Day’? We chose this date to emphasize it’s not just about gender equality, but about respect and recognition for every individual’s work.” ZIJkant and Mortierbrigade are veterans of this satirical approach. A memorable spot for Equal Pay Day a few years showed guys shaking hands where their penises should be.

Behind every successful man is a group of underpaid women, says satirical ad

Featured Stories