Clemenger BBDO calls out unpaid IWD speeches with ‘The Fee Speech’

A new campaign is taking aim at corporations that ask women to speak for free at International Women’s Day (IWD) events, highlighting the irony of expecting unpaid labour on a day meant to celebrate gender equality.

Created by Clemenger BBDO in partnership with Less Than 10% F*ck That, 'The Fee Speech' provides women with a ready-made presentation they can use when asked to speak without compensation—turning the request into an opportunity to educate companies on the value of women's labour.

The initiative is fronted by award-winning journalist and commentator Jane Caro, who appears in a social video directly addressing the issue. "This is a great initiative from Clems, and I was delighted to take part (and get my invoice paid), having not only been asked numerous times to speak for free on IWD, but on two occasions to pay for the privilege!" she said. "Women's work is valuable, which means it should be paid."

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Jane Caro (@janecaro57)

Women globally perform an estimated $10.8 trillion worth of unpaid labour annually, with Australian women accounting for around 70% of all unpaid domestic and caregiving tasks. Yet, despite the persistent gender pay gap, major corporations continue to invite female speakers to IWD events without financial compensation.

The campaign also features a striking press ad styled as an open letter to women being asked to speak for free. The ad lays out the economic reality of unpaid labour and encourages women to use 'The Fee Speech' as a response.

Clemenger BBDO creatives Ellie Dunn and Hugh O’Connor, who led the campaign, noted the issue has been widely discussed on LinkedIn for years. "We hope 'The Fee Speech' speaks to women everywhere who’ve experienced this firsthand. But more importantly, we hope it gets through to the big organisations guilty of doing this. Who, as Jane puts it, can ‘bugger off’."

Less Than 10% F*ck That founder Mikhaila Warburton added that the campaign is particularly relevant given this year’s IWD theme—‘Rights, Equality, Empowerment.’ "This isn’t just about International Women’s Day," she said. "It’s about recognising and respecting women’s time and talent every single day."

For those looking to make a point while being expected to work for free, 'The Fee Speech' presentation is available for download, offering a ready-to-use response to corporate hypocrisy.

Campaign's take: This campaign is not only brilliant, but long overdue and a genius way to cut through the noise of traditional IWD chatter. In addition to Caro, other industry voices including Cindy Gallop have long called out the absurdity of women being asked to share their expertise for free—while companies profit from those very insights. Women are already underrepresented in leadership across the ad and marketing industries, yet their experiences are constantly mined as unpaid inspiration for others trying to navigate the same inequalities. IWD isn’t just about giving women a platform; it’s about attaching real value to their voices. That companies still need to be educated on this says everything. Maybe the industry has been offering insights for free for so long that it’s become the norm, making it easy to overlook their real value. But for women, everything they’ve seen, navigated, and contributed shapes the perspectives they bring—why should that be given away at no cost?

CREDITS:

Client: Less Than 10% F*ck That

Founder: Mikhaila Warburton

Clemenger BBDO

CCO: Adrián Flores
ECD: Tristan Graham
CD: Heidi Kasselman
Senior Copywriter: Ellie Dunn
Senior Art Director: Hugh O’Connor
Head of Production: Ainslee Littlemore
Editors: Jen Cahir, Sam Coates
Executive Digital Director: Claire Bisset
Designer: Sebastian Sarria, Sade Ballestrin
Digital Designer: Justin Tumilaar
Head of Cultural Design: Rhian Mason
Managing Partner: Georgie Winton
Strategist: Helena Duniec

MADE THIS

Executive Producer: Ainslee Littlemore
Director: Tom Stephens
DOP: Ian Tyley