Visible Tattoos, Weird Hair Color and Nose Rings On People In Advertising

A few weeks ago I saw a terrific young man who had his sleeves rolled up and he had tattoos on both forearms.  I was very much taken aback.  That same week I saw a discussion somewhere on the internet  where someone asked recruiters about sending out people with tattoos.

These two things are the genesis of this post.

I realized after I saw this account person, that in all my years of recruiting, I had never seen a man with visible tattoos.  I have seen a few account men with earring holes (they generally take them off when they see me, but not always) and a few women with small, innocuous tattoos on their ankles, but never a guy.  I advised the person I met to keep his sleeves rolled down, just as I advise men with earrings to take them off for their interviews (a sharp interviewer will see the pierce holes, anyway).

Account and creative people have to deal with clients.  Some clients are pretty loose.  Some are conservative.  An account person always should make his clients feel and look good, and I am sure that a tattoo on a man’s arms is not socially acceptable with all clients.  I suspect that is why most advertising account people don’t have them, at least those that show easily.  Somehow, it is more acceptable for a woman to have a small tattoo on a foot, which most people don’t notice, anyway.

I remember years ago meeting an account executive who had dyed her hair bright purple. She was looking for a job for a long time and found that she had to remove the dye before she could get a new job.  Some months later, I happened to be talking to the person who hired her (not through me). By the time she interviewed for that job, she had gotten rid of the purple color.  However, he told me that in her references, although people liked her and her work ethic, the subject of her hair color was brought up by everyone.  She was told in her new job not to dye her hair again.

Most creative people don't have outrageous hair color.  I have seen some who do, but these are, for the most part, not people who have a lot of client contact or, they have become so successful that they can get away with it.

We also don't see too many people with nose rings,  pierced lips or the like.  Although we occasionally see an innocuous nose stud on women.  Guys with ear rings occasionally show up, but rarely on successful account people.

It could be argued that what people do with their bodies is no one’s business, but most ad agencies, no matter how creative or innovative their product is, are basically socially conservative.  People who don’t have client contact are more likely to be acceptable with body art, purple hair and nose rings.  But I have walked the halls at many agencies and I just don’t see too many advertising people who have these things.