SALT.TV managing director Aziza Bhatia draws raw parallels between production and childbirth, exploring how the beautiful chaos of both requires a village
Motherhood in advertising has long been an unspoken challenge – a career-defining crossroads where ambition is too often questioned, and support systems fall short. And while the industry has made progress in acknowledging the realities of working parents, tangible change is still slow, leaving many mothers to navigate the journey alone.
In this instalment of Motherland in Adland – the series founded by NERD’s Milana Karaica in partnership with LBB – we hear from Aziza Bhatia, EP and managing director at SALT.TV.
She reflects on her 25-year career in independent production, navigating the lack of maternity support within SMEs and the stark financial realities of raising a family on statutory pay. Here, she explores the raw parallels between the “beautiful chaos” of raising teenage girls and the grueling but deeply rewarding process of bringing a creative campaign to life, reminding us that both take a village.
Please take what I say with a pinch of salt.. but as a mum, EP and MD of SALT.TV I’ve learnt a few things over the years about juggling the world of advertising with the beautiful chaos of raising children and have noticed some similarities.
All I have ever known is the world of production, and by default, working in SMEs. My 25 year long career has been with one foot in each of these camps. When it comes to having a baby, neither camp is particularly progressive. Maternity leave is not commonplace in SMEs. It’s very much a case of what the business can afford and with an industry so heavily invested in young, up and coming talent, full time roles are hard to come by, let alone maternity packages. I was one of the majority, relying on the government statutory maternity weekly pay of £130 (as it was then) to help me buy nappies. Better than a kick in the teeth I thought.
To me personally, producing ads is much like the process of giving birth. Endorphins take over and the pain is far too easily forgotten. The late-night client calls, the exhaustion, the budget ‘can we even afford this? To the team wide wonder as to ‘when on earth will this all be over?’ But the light at the end of the tunnel is, the result, the baby… And I don’t mean the KPIs. It’s the material product and the act of production that makes it all worthwhile.
Production teams and production crew are like family. If we are lucky enough to get through the ups and downs of a production, we are on an all-time high, together. Celebrations when you win a job, celebrations when you wrap a job, with a rather painful bit in between! Making an ad is much like raising a child, it takes a village. It’s a hugely emotional experience, at the end of which, you are just grateful to have been given the chance. The people involved make you raise your game, as your kids do.
Now, however, as a 49 year old woman and mum of two teenage girls, I see things differently. I get so much back as a mum and EP. Both lines of work continue to be hugely challenging and the juggle of both simultaneously can oftentimes take you to the brink.
But at the end of the day, I know that I am SO lucky, despite all the odds, to be doing what I do. The stressful moments are made up for by the beauty of what we have made and the massive pleasure of being around those amazing humans who helped us through the hard times.
Childbirth is a leveller in the same way as creativity is a leveller. It’s in those times of sheer basic need that we are all equal, that we all reach out to ask for help or to help without being asked. And I hope that we do more of that in life generally, especially now.