David Ogilvy, founder of Advertising Agency Ogilvy and Mather, announced that "...the consumer is not a moron, she's my wife..."

This proclamation was reason enough to open the doors to Venus Advertising, Australia's first Advertising Agency that specializes in Marketing to Women (go to www.venusadvertising.com.au)

But what exactly was Mr Ogilvy saying about the 85% of women who are responsible for the majority of household expenditure?

Let's hope that his wife was not intellectually challenged, and that he meant that women should be communicated with, in a more intelligent manner.

It is true, that women are often treated moronically in advertising parlance.

Women are stereotyped in many creative executions, bearing the projections of characters that only exist in fantasy.

It seems that much of the time, they are falsely empowered with transparent and insincere"sisterhood"statements.

Women are inflicted with patronizing, B-grade advertising messages. And more often than not, these messages don't achieve the desired outcomes.

Not so for advertising targeted at men.

Observe the category of beer.

The latest Toohey's extravaganza. The sheer production dollars in film, and countless hours spent crafting a fully integrated campaign online is remarkable. And it all starts with a hair planted in the ground and sci-fi like special effects that unravel the concept.

And it's not one of a kind. Heineken, Guinness, Budweiser – they all pick up the premium awards at International Advertising Festivals for their creative genius.

Closer to home, The Big Ad for Carlton Draught. It's a love letter for men, by men, to men. A celebration of beer, of testosterone and good old-fashioned mateship, and camaraderie.

So, where is the Big ad for women?

It doesn't seem to exist.

Maybe the guys who write the ads just don't feel the same passion for hairspray as they do for beer? Perhaps those fermented hops mean more to the creative juices, than a box of nappies? Maybe the amber nectar is easier to understand than trying to get frothy over washing detergent?

Or perhaps it's simply a matter of empathy.

Maybe men surrounded by men, running through the wild, breaking through wire fences and singing the lyrics all together, in team-like worship, is a familiar metaphor to them?

Maybe the climactic reward of imbibing the beverage and tasting the sweetness of the product (wiping it macho across their face to finish) is de rigeur.

And if this is second nature, then what we have is a strong suggestion, that to truly write brilliant advertising ideas it helps to have these personal and intuitive insights.

To be able to create such powerful metaphor, which has incredible sales impact and reward, first hand experience of the target consumer, appears mandatory.

David Ogily also said that "... the best creative insight really does come from real experience...".

For most of us, the most powerful empathy is had from this first hand experience. Or, when we have "walked a mile" in someone else's shoes.

Given that women are responsible for the majority of household spending, I think they are very well qualified for that insightful task.