Marketing and advertising have always been shaped by people willing to challenge what was expected of them. Long before creative departments became more diverse, women were already influencing how brands spoke, connected, and told their stories.
Their names were not always visible. Their impact still is.
At Ponder & Pitch, that history matters. Not as a gesture, but as context. The work happening in studios today exists because others pushed boundaries long before us. This journal is a moment to acknowledge some of the women who helped shape marketing and advertising, and to recognise how that legacy continues through the women shaping our studio today.
Helen Lansdowne Resor and the Power of Voice
Helen Lansdowne Resor was one of the first women to lead creative work within the advertising industry. At a time when agencies were overwhelmingly male, she developed national campaigns that focused on tone, language, and emotional connection.
Her approach was simple but powerful. Advertising should speak to people as people, not simply as consumers.
Today that idea feels obvious. At the time, it was quietly revolutionary.
Resor helped establish early standards for storytelling in marketing. She demonstrated that voice matters. That empathy matters. That the way something is said can shape how it is received.
Many of the disciplines used in modern marketing today, from brand tone of voice to narrative driven campaigns, trace their roots back to thinking like hers.
Jane Maas and the Shape of Modern Branding
Jane Maas entered the industry decades later, but carried the same determination to reshape it. Rising through major agencies, she became part of the creative force behind one of the most recognisable campaigns ever created: I Love New York.
The campaign showed how branding could do more than promote a place. It could shape perception and create cultural meaning.
Maas understood how language, design, and emotion could come together to form something lasting. Not just a campaign, but a shared idea people could recognise and carry with them.
Her success also challenged agency cultures that were not designed to welcome women into leadership. By insisting on being part of the conversation, she helped expand the space for others who followed.
Her legacy lives not only in the campaigns she shaped, but in the confidence she helped create for future creatives.
Why This Still Matters
Looking at marketing today, it is easy to assume progress happened naturally. It did not.
The space for different voices, thoughtful storytelling, and creative leadership was built deliberately. Often by people who had to work harder simply to be heard.
Recognising that history is not about comparison. It is about understanding the foundation the industry stands on today. At Ponder & Pitch, we see that legacy reflected in the people shaping our work every day.
The Women Shaping Ponder & Pitch
Martina, our Graphic Designer, brings clarity and sensitivity to visual storytelling. Her work balances structure with instinct, understanding that design is not only about appearance, but about how people experience a brand.
Duaa, our Junior Graphic Designer, approaches design with focus and care. Working within the studio environment, she is building the skills and confidence needed to transform ideas into clear visual language. Creative leadership rarely appears fully formed. It grows through opportunity and practice.
Sarah, our Marketing Executive, works where strategy meets storytelling. She shapes how brands show up online, ensuring communication remains clear, consistent, and human. Her work reflects a simple belief: marketing connects best when people feel understood.
None of this work happens in isolation. It is collaborative, considered, and built on respect for both the process and the people involved.
Carrying the Legacy Forward
Women like Helen Lansdowne Resor and Jane Maas did not set out to become symbols. They set out to do their work properly. To contribute meaningfully in an industry that did not always make space for them.
That mindset still matters.
At Ponder & Pitch, we do not treat history as something separate from the present. The way we approach branding, storytelling, and collaboration is shaped by those who came before us.
Not through imitation. Through intention.
Marketing will continue to evolve. Platforms will change. Technologies will move forward.
But the principles that matter most remain the same.
Clarity. Care. And people who take the work seriously.
The women who paved the way made that possible.
The women in our studio continue it.