A person who works in advertising, especially a copywriter, designer, or creative professional in an ad agency.
Compound word formed from ad (advertisement) + man. Emerged in the early 20th century as advertising became a professional industry.
The 1960s TV show 'Mad Men' immortalized the adman archetype—creative, ambitious, ethically flexible—but the industry has changed radically since then, with admen (and adwomen) now battling bots and algorithms.
'Adman' (advertising man) emerged in early 20th-century media as a masculine-coded profession. Despite women's significant contributions to advertising since the 1920s, 'adman' persists as the default term.
Use 'advertising professional', 'ad professional', or 'advertiser' instead. If using 'adman', acknowledge it as historical term only; use inclusive alternatives in contemporary contexts.
["advertising professional","ad professional","advertiser","ad executive"]
Women like Helen Lansdowne Resor (early copywriter) and Mary Wells Lawrence (founder of Wells Rich Greene) shaped modern advertising; the term 'adman' obscures their foundational contributions and expertise.
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