French marketing mastermind Jacques Séguéla had his tongue in his cheek when he titled his book “Don’t tell my mother I’m in advertising?.?.?.?she thinks I play the piano in a brothel”. More than 40 years on, however, the difficulties that ad companies are encountering in attracting and retaining staff are no laughing matter.

In one of the tightest labour markets in modern history, advertising is yet another industry struggling with recruitment. Employers in the sector have been asking “where are all the people?” said Helen Kimber, managing director at The Longhouse London, a headhunter. “‘Extraordinary’ is the best encapsulation of it,” she added.

Recent results from several large ad groups show how competition for talent has weighed on bottom lines. Although different companies have different ways of measuring it, the trend for higher salary bills is clear.