By Paula Bistagnino. Under the slogan “Talent doesn’t have just one face,” the Argentine online job board Zona Jobs launched an advertising campaign comprised of several ads: one of them features a trans woman. It premiered on April 18th and in just over two weeks garnered a million views and generated tens of thousands of comments, social media interactions, and debate. Never before had an advertisement featuring a trans person been created for a private company in Argentina. The campaign, called “ Juana,” is “a message that invites us to reflect on what we look for, what we seek, what we want when we talk about talent,” explains Lulo Calio, creative director of FCB&Fire, the advertising agency in charge of the campaign and where the idea originated. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6qhQ94YtHE&lc=z22tt1lxxvjay153lacdp434zhwlw3cnrtlafci5tjtw03c010c Federico Paluszkiewicz, marketing and communications director of Navent, the company that owns Zona Jobs, was the counterpart: “When they came with the proposal, after having already been working a lot on the topic of the new generations, what matters to them, what they live for, what they want from work, the only thing we thought was that we had to do it and do it well, without losing the focus of the campaign which is talent and not trans.” Calio clarifies: “It’s not a campaign about trans people and unemployment. That wasn’t our approach: it’s a campaign about talent. It’s a campaign about the inclusion of talent in the workforce, about focusing job searches on talent. And we chose the trans community because we knew it was the most affected population within the LGBTQ+ community. And it seemed to us that it was the best contrast.”

“Millennials”

The journey to the advertisement we see today—which was picked up by various local media outlets as well as those in other countries—took many months. The first step was to research what matters to the new generations of employees and employers. “We're looking at how the job market is changing, how perspectives are evolving. We had already been working on surveys and studies about what this segment of young people, marketed as 'millennials,' thinks, believes, and experiences: it's a generation that's free from a lot of preconceptions and ideas about the world and work that we, those of us in our 40s and over, have, and that's where the whole campaign originated,” says Paluszkiewicz of Zona Jobs. “They're bringing something new and much better in many ways. And sexual diversity emerges very clearly and powerfully as a millennial issue; a topic of interest, of relevance, because for them it's a value. Their world is diverse,” explains Calio. Just as this generation is bringing about a balance between life and work, a relaxation of schedules and formality, different formats that have more to do with productivity than rules, with happiness and flexibility at work – she says – “sexual diversity and freedom and respect for different identities in their work environment and in their surroundings are values ​​for them. And we wanted to speak to them. And also a little from their perspective. And also to talk about something we feel is very unfair.”

Being a single mother, having tattoos and piercings, being trans

The campaign features several ads: one of a mother, another of a young man with tattoos. But is being a woman and a mother comparable to being trans? And is that the same as having tattoos? No. Absolutely not. Just look at the figures for how many people with tattoos or mothers enter the workforce and compare those numbers with how many trans people do to dismiss the comparison. “However, there is something comparable: sexual diversity, and trans people within the LGBTQ+ community; trans women within the trans community; as well as young men with tattoos and piercings, and single mothers… We focused on these groups because they are comparable as the most discriminated-against groups in the job market when companies are looking for an employee,” the creative director points out. She explains that when they decided to address sexual diversity, they hadn't yet decided the protagonist would be a trans person: the idea arose after speaking with the Argentine Federation of Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, and Trans (FALGBT). “That's when we learned something we didn't know about the reality of trans people, and trans women in particular. And that's why we decided that sexual diversity would be told through this story.” They tested and discussed the proposal with them: from the “need” for the protagonist to be a trans person—chosen through a casting call with 50 participants—to details of the story they would tell, and even modified it based on FALGBT's recommendations. “Of course they told us, and we know it, that what the ad shows isn’t happening: that there aren’t any trans executives in companies. That’s why we made this ad, because what we want is for people to ask themselves why it isn’t happening. And there are a lot of explanations for why it isn’t happening.” Very complex, very profound. We're looking for that question. We want everyone to ask themselves that. But we're not pushing a agenda: we're not saying, 'This girl is trans and deserves…' No, we're telling the story of a girl who has a job, but it's not right for her. It's something else entirely. You don't say 'trans' in advertising. And at the same time, we're asking: Why can't a trans girl work as an executive in a company? Why couldn't she be in an office? Doesn't that seem strange to you? Haven't you wondered about that?” says Calio. And he admits that he himself changed his perspective and realized that he knew nothing about the lives of trans people, and that it was transformative for them to do so as well: “I hadn't had any contact with a trans person in my life until now. And I'm 40 years old. We have a company that, until today, we could say had a sexually diverse team. But now I realize that's not entirely true. Because no trans person works here.” Paluszkiewicz, from Zona Jobs, adds: “It’s a warning that probably couldn’t have been issued a few years ago. I think people need to open their ears a little more, and that a number of things have started happening in the world and in Argentina that make it possible to talk about this.” We had the opportunity to say things that others can't say, and we went for it: let's take advantage of it to support, generate, or accompany a transformation that's happening.” He also says that since the ad was released, there's been a strong debate, and they like that: “The interaction is record-breaking for any project we've ever done. But we didn't receive any devastating comments. There are criticisms, of course. And that's fine. We set out to do something that would build, not destroy. And we believe we achieved that.”

A first step, but not the last.

The first reaction to the ad was surprise: it's the first time in Argentina that an advertisement has addressed trans people and work. And it doesn't speak from a perspective of workplace inclusion, but rather from the perspective of the right and possibility of finding a job that suits them, that respects their boundaries. “I saw it and I was surprised. I had to watch it twice first to think: let's see, what do I think about this? And the truth is, you can see some clichés, stereotypes, and things that don't reflect the reality of trans people in Argentina; but even though I saw all that, I think it does raise awareness. And in that sense, it's good,” says Alma Fernández, a trans activist and leader at the Mocha Celis Trans High School. “I can say that it's not a true story, that I don't know of any similar cases among my peers, that it perpetuates the stereotype of the tall, blonde, model-type trans woman with green eyes. That's all true, and it's the obvious aspect of the ad. But well, I think that happens in all advertisements. But I like it because there aren't many ads like this. It's new. And I think it's a positive step.” For their part, Paula Arraigada, the first trans member of the Women's Parliament of the Buenos Aires City Legislature, gives her analysis: “First of all, I thought it was positive to make a trans woman visible and that the message challenges the gaze and prejudices that the other possesses. From a positive perspective, I can't help but wonder how many trans women are professionals. And on that point, I do feel it's somewhat detached from the daily reality of most of the trans population.” The activist also asks, “Are we just a fad today, or is society truly interested in defending the rights of a minority and stigmatized population?” And she answers, “Of course, the proposal is thought-provoking and may well spark reflection on the attitudes of those who see the advertisement toward us. And that's a good thing, in my opinion.” Regarding how the story is told in the ad, she highlights one negative and one positive detail. The negative: “In the narrative, she comes out of a bathroom and the image of the icon that defines the women's bathroom predominates in the shot, But this has nothing to do with the storyline; it only serves to influence the message, and in my opinion, it's unnecessary. On the positive side: at the end of the ad, in this new phase of her life, the one that brings her happiness, she's wearing a t-shirt with two words in English. My way"The translation of which is 'my way'. I liked it," the legislator says. The advertisement was submitted for the Lola Mora awards, a recognition given annually by the General Directorate for Women of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires. to those who, in various media outlets, convey a positive image of women that breaks with gender stereotypes, promotes equal opportunities and women's rights.]]>