14785: Ted Royer Is Adding Victims Who Deserve—And Demand—An Apology.

Advertising Age extended its lengthy coverage of the collateral damage created by Ted Royer’s dark comedy monologue staged at the recent LIA event. The reactions underscore the complexities of exclusivity and gender-based issues—as well as the diverse degrees of cultural cluelessness in adland.

Two outrageous responses came via condemnations from FCB and TIME’S UP/Advertising. Um, FCB being connected to IPG makes it rather hypocritical to express shock and distress, as the White holding company has produced some of the most scandalous sexual harassment cases to date. As for TIME’S UP/Advertising, well, the organization still has Wendy Clark—who hired Royer for freelance work—on its roster.

Advertising Age also revealed LIA President and Founder Barbara Levy recounted her personal sexual assault experience when the attendees displayed disapproval over Royer’s presence. Gee, a simpler apology than the ones Royer delivered would have sufficed.

Keep in mind, Royer projected mea culpas for his wife, Droga5 and the industry he loves. Yet there’s no remorse for the attendees who suffered through the spectacle.

Meanwhile, Ad Age collected reactions from lots of folks—with the glaring exception of a suddenly silent Royer. Wonder if the trade journal thought of asking David Droga for an opinion. Too many sources state Royer was fired after being targeted by Diet Madison Avenue. Sorry, the man got canned after a thorough investigation conducted by Droga5. If the dismissal was flawed, shouldn’t Royer show resentment for his ex-employer?

Others have opined that Royer deserves a second chance and should regain access to the field. Why? The industry has hardly collapsed due to the absence of Royer, Joe Alexander, Tham Khai Meng, Gustavo Martinez, Ralph Watson and Jeremy Perrott. Or Neil French. Forgiveness does not mean forgetfulness.

Ex-Droga5 CCO Ted Royer’s Recent Speech Sparks Widespread Anger, Some Praise And Calls To Action

Time’s Up Advertising demands apology; FCB cuts ties with organization

By Ann-Christine Diaz

Former Droga5 Chief Creative Officer Ted Royer’s appearance at an advertising event in Las Vegas this past weekend sparked heated, passionate reactions around the industry—from those in attendance and elsewhere.

Royer took the stage on Sunday morning and addressed the allegations of anonymous Instagram account Diet Madison Avenue that preceded his firing from Droga5 more than a year-and-a-half ago. While some praised Royer for being brave enough to speak, there was also plenty of shock and disbelief about his presence at the event from creatives both young and seasoned. Agency network FCB and advocacy group Time’s Up Advertising were moved to take action against the London International Awards, the organization that backed his presentation.

The Liaisons

The London International Award’s Creative Liaisons program ran over several days alongside its awards judging period, still continuing this week. Liaisons aims to provide promising talents with the skills to ensure their success. “Liaisons is designed to be a creative oasis in an industry that is in danger of focusing less and less on its creative output. We stand for the work and those who make it,” reads the description on its site.

During this year’s event, however, some attendees found Royer’s presentation the opposite of a “creative oasis.”

One attendee was so affected by his presence that she left the room crying, prompting festival president and founder Barbara Levy to take the podium and apologize, even recounting her own experience of sexual assault in 1983.

Some Liaisons attendees told Ad Age they felt Royer’s presentation was geared not toward their enrichment. “It was a redemption speech, in my opinion,” says one female creative. In interviews, others called it “tone-deaf” and “inappropriate.” “Everything about it felt very wrong for me,” another attendee tells Ad Age, “even if what he was trying to do was be a better person. He did it in a horrible way, in a really weird context. He’s telling us that all these victims are liars, but some of us in the room were sexual assault victims.”

Royer was asked during the Q&A session why he was presenting at that place and time. “It’s the first thing I’ve been invited to,” he said. “I wanted to talk to creatives because the things that I have learned and have embraced, and tried to embody over the last year-and-a-half I think are very relevant to young creatives. I wanted to level-set and I really wanted to give back to this industry.”

Lacking empathy

One of the points Royer made repeatedly during his presentation was his desire to meet face-to-face with people, including those he has hurt, as a means of opening up communication and promoting “understanding and empathy.”

But some attendees say that his presentation itself lacked empathy. “My issue with what he was saying was the implication that it was my responsibility to resolve the problem,” says copywriter Sydnie Felton of VMLY&R in Kansas City, Missouri. “I would have loved to hear his perspective, even if he gave advice for if you find yourself in a difficult situation, and how you can come out of it in the best possible way and not feel your career is threatened. Everything was about protecting men in his position rather than empowering us with the proper tools.”

“A lot of us were visibly shaken, but so were the guys,” says another female creative. “A lot of them afterwards were apologizing to the women in the room.”

She also observed a curious difference in the reactions from the crowd. “A lot of the women were talking about how inappropriate it was, while the guys were talking about accountability,” she says.

“As soon as he started talking, I thought it was a bit surreal because almost immediately he positioned himself as a victim—these are the things that happened to me,” one male attendee tells Ad Age. “He very clearly did not seem to understand these things happened because of his actions and decisions.”

But “I don’t want to dogpile,” he adds. “I saw a broken dude who lost everything, and I want him to find peace and turn this fucked-up thing into something good. I think he just messed up. He squandered a good opportunity and put the burden on the victims. He really needed to take accountability.”

LIA misstep

For some in the audience, the bigger issue wasn’t Royer’s speech, but the fact that it was unannounced—or at least poorly announced—especially in light of the fact that some in the audience had endured harassment or assault themselves. Royer’s name and picture had not been on the program’s online schedule until the week of the event, and in the printed program, his slot listed only “Guest Speaker.” When the show presenter brought Royer to the stage he gave an awkward, quick intro: “I have no idea what this session is going to be about, but I do know that his work speaks for itself.”

“We’re sitting there, on our schedule it says ‘Guest Speaker’ and we’re completely unaware that he was coming,” says one female creative. “It felt like it should have been an op-ed that people could choose to read or not. We were completely unaware—or made to be unaware, in my opinion, that he was coming. I think it was a really big misstep from the program.”

Creatives were also upset by how LIA addressed the adverse reactions to the talk. After the attendee who was in tears left the room, Levy said, “We just had a little incident and I want to apologize to anyone who felt uncomfortable. It didn’t occur to me that the topic he was talking about might make some of you feel uncomfortable.” Levy then went on to reveal her rape in 1983.

“When Barbara tried to use her own sexual assault story to justify their reasoning for bringing him there, it left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth,” says one creative.

Another creative, however, tells Ad Age, “I was very impressed that Barbara instantly got up on stage and apologized. For me personally I was happy to move on from there."

Some Liaisons also say that Royer’s presence didn’t prevent them from reaping the benefits of the other parts of the program. CHE Proximity Melbourne copywriter Lauren Eddy and art director Aicha Wijland, in industry publication Campaign Brief, wrote that while they felt “robbed” by Royer’s talk, they still learned valuable lessons in empathy and unconscious bias from other workshops and speakers, including award-winning journalist Lara Logan.

Another creative affected by the speech still called the program as a whole an “unbelievable experience” that left him eager to go back to his agency and start applying what he learned.

“We can see that our misstep was not taking greater initiative to inform the attendees of the schedule change once the conference started,” said Levy in a statement to Ad Age.

As for how she handled her apology to the audience after Royer’s talk, she explained that the intense reaction of one particular participant moved her to speak to the crowd. “I went to have a conversation with her and then felt the need to address the audience,” she said. “In the wake of all the emotion in the room, I may have taken a miscue and been too open about my own personal experience.”

The leaders in the room

While Royer’s presentation was meant for young creatives, a number of industry leaders who were judging the LIA Awards took a break to hear him speak.

During the Q&A session, Edelman Chief Creative Officer Judy John took the opportunity to shed light on questions presented to Royer regarding the “burden” of having to speak to or report an accuser. “As a young creative I’ve been in compromising positions as I think some other women in the room have,” she said in that session. “It’s hard to go to your boss or superior and say, that wasn’t cool… because you might lose your job, you might get blackballed, you might be a troublemaker. There are a lot of reasons why women don’t come forward.”

Another female industry leader echoed the sentiment of the young creatives. “Bringing up DMA and all those accusations were not necessary for someone who was accepting responsibility and apologizing to anyone he hurt,” she tells Ad Age. “But there has to be a path forward for anyone who wants to move forward in my opinion.”

She was also struck by the generational differences in the reactions to his talk. “For the most part my generation is a bit numb from growing up with all of the bad stuff,” she says. “We are happy to be talking about it and see a new awareness, but we are mostly focused on the wage gap and opportunities for women at the highest levels. Comments about how we dress have little effect, and attempts for romance or otherwise are annoying but not shocking.”

The younger generation represented by the LIA participants, however, seems to have very different reactions, she says. “There is a lot of anger and they don’t feel like they can talk. They feel way better hiding behind social media because they are used to it. They feel like we are enablers, and by being complacent we didn’t clean it up for them. That comment about their outfit is like a slap in the face.”

Veteran producer Oliver Fuselier thought Royer’s move “was a lesson in humility and true bravery,” he tells Ad Age. He “put it all out on the stage, from apologizing to the room of young creatives and beyond as well as putting his email address on the screen with a standing offer to meet with anyone that he hurt, angered or made feel bad... We as a society need to help us all to find a way to move forward and allow men to start righting their wrongs and healing themselves. We must still hold them accountable, but at the same time support them in their own road to recovery.”

Another industry leader in the room for the speech added that despite what happened, the LIA’s program is still important for the industry. “I believe in the power of learning and the LIA Creative Liaisons team has so far funded almost 1,000 young creatives from around the world to attend the program,” he says. “I urge young creatives who have attended Creative Liaisons over the years to also share their positive experiences so others who haven’t attended it will continue to attend and benefit from it. The learning must never stop.”

Ad Age reached out to Royer about the reactions to his speech, but he declined comment.

The Industry

The industry has begun to take action in response to the speech. FCB, which had both creatives in the Liaisons program and as judges in the LIA, announced it would be terminating its relationship with the awards show. “A recent presentation given at the LIA was deeply upsetting to some of our team in attendance, and the reaction and response by the LIA has been very disappointing and unsatisfactory,” the agency said in a statement.

In a letter to Levy and the other organizers of the LIA, Time’s Up Advertising also took issue with how Royer’s speech was not properly publicized to the attendees. “You left no option for consent,” the letter read. “You showed disrespect for LIA attendees who have been harmed by Royer’s behavior, specifically, or faced similarly disturbing behavior in the workplace. You signaled that his voice is worth a platform, while our voices aren’t worth believing.”

The organization then went on to list the actions LIA should take in the wake of this incident: apologize, publicly commit to creating a safer and more inclusive environment “that respects women,” and be transparent.

If LIA does not heed this advice, Time’s Up Advertising Executive Director Christena Pyle said in an additional statement to Ad Age that the organization is “prepared to take further action.”

Levy told Ad Age in her statement that the LIA has been communicating with FCB on the agency’s decision to sever ties with the organization.

“We apologize if we inadvertently upset anyone during at the LIAisons program,” she said. “We will work closer with the agencies and the top-level creatives to better curate the program moving forward.”

Contributing: Lindsay Rittenhouse

14660: Les Lionnes Stages More Drama Than Les Misérables.

Adweek reported on Les Lionnes, a French women’s rights group holding its own event during Cannes to protest gender inequality in adland. Yawn. Hey, they should change their name to the Neil French women’s rights group.

A French Women’s Rights Group Is Holding a Cannes of Their Own to Rally Against Industry Sexism

Les Lionnes rewards campaigns created by agencies that treat women fairly

By Minda Smiley

As thousands of agency folk descend on Cannes for the International Festival of Creativity, a French nonprofit called Les Lionnes will hold a separate event to draw attention to the rampant sexism and harassment that continues to plague the industry.

According to the group, it will set up an “off” festival called The Cannes Lions, where members will hand out awards to campaigns not based on their creative merit, but to those that were “designed by agencies that treat women fairly of more … in their top management, creation or production departments.”

To garner buzz and awareness, Les Lionnes recently took to the streets of Paris on the night of June 5 to plaster the walls of the city’s agencies with posters that highlight the kinds of things perpetrators of sexual harassment and unfair treatment have said to their victims. Their “nocturnal operation” was documented and subsequently turned into a short film.

On its website, both victims and witnesses can anonymously share their experiences. Les Lionnes said the effort shines a light on “the violent and iniquitous and unequal truth of an industry that makes women its main casualties over and over.”

Les Lionnes was formed in April by Christelle Delarue, who was on Adweek’s 2019 Women Trailblazers list this year. Delarue is CEO of Mad&Women, a self-described “feminist agency” she founded in Paris in 2012. The agency recently forged a partnership with Unesco to heighten visibility of initiatives aimed at promoting gender equality.

Delarue started Les Lionnes following the exposure of the “LOL League,” a secret Facebook group that French journalists—mainly men—were using to encourage the online harassment of women.

14586: Advertising Industry Boys’ Club Introduces The 97% Movement.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 1, 2019

Former Creative Honchos Launch The 97% Movement

Madison Avenue, New York City, NY — A group of former Executive Creative Directors and Chief Creative Officers launched The 97% Movement, a bold initiative designed to enhance and grow the male majority in the advertising industry. The 97% Movement is aiming for 100% macho dominance in agency creative departments by 2020, according to anonymous reports from Diet Madison Avenue that really pissed off Ralph Watson.

“You can’t be a great creative director and have a baby and keep spending time off every time your kids are ill,” reiterated Neil French. “Everyone who doesn’t commit themselves fully to the job is crap at it.”

The 97% Movement leadership includes Joe Alexander, Tham Khai Meng, Jeremy Perrott, Ted Royer, Eric Springer and Ralph Watson. Gustavo Martinez is overseeing group activities in Spain.

Industry female figures presented varied responses. Cindy Gallop delivered an expletive-filled tirade, Kat Gordon filed a lawsuit for copyright infringement and Jo Wallace declined to comment per the insistence of legal counsel at JWT London. “The 97% Movement has my full support and restless ambition,” gushed Wendy Clark. “Oops. I mean they’re fully reprehensible and reckless assholes.”

###

14093: WPP Crash And Burn.

(Believe it or not, this post was written before The Wall Street Journal and other news sources reported Sir Martin Sorrell is being investigated for “possible misuse of assets and allegations of improper behavior.”)

Does the WPP crash indicate greater issues than bad financial management, escalating competitive challenges and shifting revenue problems? That is, how do a corporation’s ethics and integrity affect the bottom line? The biggest White holding company has certainly displayed its ugly sides in recent times.

First and foremost, WPP Overlord Sir Martin Sorrell—who is essentially a glorified accountant running an enterprise historically rooted in creativity and innovation—appears to be much worse than an “odious little jerk,” a label bestowed upon him by the late David Ogilvy. Sorry, but the man embodies the complete set of Seven Deadly Sins, most notably greed. After all, Sorrell’s compensation has been recorded as 780 times more than the average WPP employee’s paycheck. Pride, lust, envy, gluttony and wrath play leading roles in Sorrell’s character, as evidenced by his obsessive and compulsive urge to acquire. And sloth is the final recipe ingredient, appearing via his admission that he doesn’t know the exact number of companies he’s gobbled up through the years; that is, the man has grown mentally lazy.

Sorrell displayed his out-of-touch persona perfectly when discussing the notion of hostile takeovers. “We’ve done what are euphemistically called hostile situations,” said Sorrell. “It is very interesting. Was it Jimmy Goldsmith [the late financier] who said there is no such thing as a hostile takeover? There isn’t really. It is hostile to one person, the chief executive of the target company. It is not hostile to the share owners, it is not hostile to the clients, it is not hostile to the people who work there, so it becomes more personal in that sense.” Um, takeovers are absolutely hostile situations for the workers, who soon find themselves subjected to increased financial restrictions that decrease salaries, redundancies that inspire layoffs and bureaucracies that ignite chaos as senior executives wage ego wars in the hybrid enterprises.

Alas, Sorrell isn’t the only odious little jerk on the global org chart. Gustavo Martinez, Duan Evans and Neil French represent a pattern of disturbing behavior.

Additionally, professional relationships with Cambridge Analytica, Presidents Club Charity Dinner and Harvey Weinstein further taint the company.

And of course, there’s the JWT lawsuit that seemingly symbolizes the sexual harassment epidemic sickening the industry.

The late Jay Chiat asked, “How big can you get before you get bad?” WPP and Sorrell continue to push the question to new dimensions, making one wonder how big the next crash might be.

“There’s A Sense Of Shock”: World’s Largest Ad Agency Suffers Biggest Crash In 19 Years

By Tyler Durden

In a world in which a handful of tech companies which derive the bulk of their revenues from advertising are the market leaders, what happened to WPP Plc — the world’s largest ad agency — this morning is particularly relevant: the company suffered its biggest one day crash since 1999, tumbling as much as 15%, after CEO Martin Sorrell again slashed the company’s profit outlook and predicted another year of no growth, in what Bloomberg dubbed a jarring reminder to investors “that the advertising industry is undergoing its most dramatic upheaval in decades.”

To be sure, WPP’s woes are hardly new, with the company tumbling almost as much back in August when it reported dismal earnings and unveiled “terrible” guidance. This time it was even worse.

WPP unveiled that its long-term earnings growth will be as little as 5% and twice that at best, slashing its previous guidance of as much as 15%. The year got off to a “slow start,” WPP said, continuing a trend from 2017 that saw flat margins and sales. Investors responded by sending shares down by the most in 19 years, resulting in a brief trading halt. In sympathy, Publicis Groupe SA, WPP’s French rival, dropped as much as 6.1%.

“There’s a real sense of shock and awe at what’s happened to his business model,” media analyst Alex DeGroote told Bloomberg. “This is a stark reminder of the significant challenges WPP faces.”

On one hand, the WPP crash may seem good news for its digital competitors as the steep slump of the industry leader is the most dramatic sign yet of the deepening crisis facing Sorrell as companies like Google and Facebook “hollow out his core business.”

On the other hand, and more ominous to the tech vanguards, WPP’s collapse may be a harbinger of broad weakness coming to the advertising market, which in turn could wreak havoc on tech valuations: after all major customers such as Unilever Plc have announced they are holding back ad spending to cut costs, a rallying cry which has been joined by many other companies.

There is another red flag: as Bloomberg notes, WPP’s advertising sales have long been seen as a bellwether of strength in the global economy, as companies tend to expand or cut their marketing budgets depending on how well their businesses are performing.

As such, today’s historic crash suggests that ad spending in tumbling, a clear indicator of a global economic slowdown.

Thursday’s stock slump deepens an already poor performance of WPP, which lost more than a quarter of its value over the course of last year, as discussed previously.

Having founded the company in the 1980s, Sorrell is the biggest individual shareholder at WPP, with a stake of about 1.4 percent.

The ad giant said it’s responding by trying to break down silos among its various creative, ad buying, strategy and public relations businesses to draw on top talent and seamlessly serve clients. After “not a pretty year” in 2017, WPP is “upping the pace” of its effort to combine its global team, Sorrell said.

“In this environment, the most successful agency groups will be those who offer simplicity and flexibility of structure to deliver efficient, effective solutions — and therefore growth — for their clients,” he said.

For now, the WPP weakness has yet to spread to the ad-funded FANGS, as traders give the market leaders the benefit of the doubt for now.

13989: When Harvey Met Marty.

AgencySpy published a post titled, “WPP Reportedly Preparing to Wash Its Hands of the Weinstein Company.” According to the blog, “WPP has been one of the Weinstein Company’s largest single investors since 2005.” This is not surprising at all, as the White holding company is no stranger to bad boy behavior in the workplace. WPP might represent the most obscene example of obscenity of any single organisation. Hell, WPP Overlord Sir Martin Sorrell has experience with mistresses and $54 million divorce settlements.

13850: Newton Fired For Fumble.

Adweek reported NFL Quarterback Cam Newton was cut by Dannon after making statements during a recent press conference that were deemed “sexist and disparaging.” However, the Carolina Panthers star will likely receive job offers from Saatchi & Saatchi, JWT and wherever Neil French is currently working.

Dannon Drops NFL Quarterback Cam Newton Over ‘Sexist and Disparaging’ Remarks

The brand released a scathing statement today

By Katie Richards

Yogurt brand Dannon is cutting ties with Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton over sexist comments he made in a press conference on Wednesday.

Newton joined the Dannon team in January 2015, taking over the Oikos brand from former spokesperson John Stamos.

“We are shocked and disheartened at the behavior and comments of Cam Newton towards Jourdan Rodrigue, which we perceive as sexist and disparaging to all women. It is entirely inconsistent with our commitment to fostering equality and inclusion in every workplace. It’s simply not OK to belittle anyone based on gender. We have shared our concerns with Cam and will no longer work with him,” the brand said in a statement.

During a press conference earlier this week Charlotte Observer reporter Jourdan Rodrigue asked the quarterback about wide receiver Devin Funchess embracing “the physicality of his routes,” to which Newton smirked and replied that, “It’s funny to hear a female talk about routes.”

The reporter tweeted about the event and noted later that she had approached Newton after the press conference. Newton did not offer any apology to Rodrigue.

Newton works with a number of other brands including Under Armour. No word yet on how other partners will move forward following Newton’s remarks.

13416: Discrimination Suit, Business Suit.

Adweek reported JWT Global Communications Officer Erin Johnson is returning to work, even while her discrimination lawsuit continues. Hey, why not? After all, Gustavo Martinez is still on the WPP payroll. It’s just a matter of time before Neil French is rehired too.

Erin Johnson Is Returning to JWT 8 Months After Discrimination Suit Against the Agency

Case versus former CEO Gustavo Martinez is ongoing

By Patrick Coffee

Erin Johnson, the JWT global communications officer who made headlines around the world in March when she filed a lawsuit against her employer and her now-former boss, Gustavo Martinez, will be returning to her job at JWT in Manhattan on Wednesday.

The news comes from an internal all-staff email from global chairman and CEO Tamara Ingram, who replaced Martinez about a week after Johnson’s suit went public nearly eight months ago.

The suit, filed in Manhattan federal court by the law firm of Vladeck, Raskin & Clark, accused Martinez of making it “impossible for [Johnson] to do her job” because of his “apparent comfort in making racist and sexist slurs, even on tape.” The specifics of the case claimed that Martinez regularly made offensive statements about women, Jews and people of color and repeatedly joked about sexual assault. WPP initially stood by Martinez, who issued a statement calling Johnson’s claims “outlandish” but resigned the following week.

Martinez earned more negative press the month after his departure, when Johnson’s lawyers released a tape of him speaking to attendees at a 2015 client gathering at a Miami hotel. On the tape, Martinez can be heard joking about fears that he would be “raped ... and not in the nice way.”

Spokespeople for JWT and WPP declined to comment on news of Johnson’s return, as did Vladeck, Raskin & Clark. Sources close to the matter told Adweek that Johnson will retain her title, that she will report directly to Ingram as noted in the email, and that her responsibilities will be sorted out in the coming weeks.

Johnson’s suit, which named both the JWT organization and Martinez as defendants, has yet to be resolved. The most recent document filed was an Oct. 14 letter from Davis & Gilbert, the firm representing Martinez, to Judge Paul Oetken in which partner Howard Rubin urged him to dismiss the case.

The last statement from the WPP organization on Martinez came in response to August rumors that he would be running a European unit dedicated to JWT client Nestle. At the time, a holding company spokesperson denied the claim and wrote, “Gustavo Martinez and his family have left the United States and moved back to Barcelona. Pending the result of the court case he is working on projects in Spain and Latin America.”

Martinez remains an employee of WPP.

13362: Putting The Ass In Glass.

MediaCom Chief Strategy Officer Sue Unerman is at it again, having co-written a diverted diversity book that declares it’s time to smash the glass wall. Not content to suffer with a mythical glass ceiling, Unerman has erected an associated wall for White women to protest—and she’ll likely publish a sequel where she invents a glass floor. There’s a clever twist here for a copywriter to pursue that incorporates “White women who live in glass houses…” Then again, MediaCom is a WPP company, where women are routinely disrespected—despite the fact that the MediaCom senior management team has a pretty solid showing of women. In the end, someone should have Unerman fitted for a glass slipper—at this point, she’s clearly crafting fairy tales.

13338: GMC = General Motors Cluelessness.

Adweek reported General Motors launched a review for its GMC brand, currently being serviced by Leo Burnett and DigitasLBi. Based on GM’s record, it’s a safe bet there will be no diversity or diverted diversity requirements presented to the White advertising agencies competing for the business. In fact, IPG should offer an “Agency of the Future” featuring Campbell Ewald led by Gustavo Martinez, Alexei Orlov and Neil French.

General Motors Launches a Creative Agency Review for GMC Brand

Incumbents Leo Burnett and DigitasLBi will defend the business

By Patrick Coffee

America’s largest automaker has launched a creative agency review for one of its core brands as part of an extended effort to secure its position in both domestic and international markets.

In April, sources speculated that a blind RFP making its way around the agency world amounted to an outreach on behalf of General Motors Company, which was rumored to be launching reviews for its GMC and Buick brands.

Today, a company spokesperson confirmed that the GMC creative advertising business is indeed in review; however, these recent developments do not concern the Buick brand. Both accounts are currently with Publicis Groupe’s Leo Burnett and DigitasLBi, which have longstanding relationships with the larger General Motors Company.

“Expanding the relevance of GMC brand and positioning it for continued success are key priorities,” the spokesperson wrote. “To support this effort, GMC is inviting multiple agencies to participate in a RFP to develop advertising strategies for the brand.”

GM declined to provide more information on the agencies involved in the RFP, but noted that incumbents Leo Burnett and Digitas will be invited to defend the business. Multiple sources tell Adweek that the client notified the two agencies last week, just after McDonald’s announced that it would be ending its relationship with Publicis Groupe in order to consolidate its advertising business with Omnicom.

This news comes almost three months after Publicis announced that the Detroit offices of those two agencies would join forces to form “united partnership” Engage M-1, which takes its name from the Motor City’s central roadway. A Publicis spokesperson told Adweek at the time that the two offices would retain their separate offices and brands while combining forces to serve the client.

Leo Burnett has worked with General Motors in some form for more than 45 years, and GM was one of the Digitas agency’s flagship clients. The former agency won lead creative duties for Buick and GMC in 2007 without a review as the client moved its business away from McCann and Lowe.

This is not the only recent change to GM’s agency roster: In early 2015, the company sent its Chevy Silverado brand to Commonwealth//McCann, a unit formed in 2012 to handle the global Chevrolet advertising business. Earlier this summer, the larger GM organization also picked Kovert Creative and Weber Shandwick to handle public relations for Cadillac and Chevrolet, respectively, with The Detroit News reporting that an RFP for PR duties on Buick and GMC was expected “by the end of the year.” Dentsu Aegis’ Carat remains GM’s media agency of record after winning the $3 billion account in a 2012 review.

General Motors Company LLC, which formed as a product of the General Motors Corporation’s 2009 bankruptcy restructuring, remains one of America’s largest advertisers. According to Kantar Media, the company spent $269 million on measured media promoting its GMC brand in 2015; that total does not include spending for its other roster brands such as Buick, Cadillac and Chevrolet.

Spokespeople for Leo Burnett and DigitasLBi deferred to the client for comment on the news.

13316: Welcome Back, Gustavo.

Campaign reported former JWT Worldwide Chairman and CEO Gustavo Martinez has been working on projects for WPP and is slated to lead a unit dedicated to serving the Nestlé account. While the specifics are speculations, WPP did acknowledge, “Gustavo Martinez and his family have left the United States and moved back to Barcelona. Pending the result of the court case he is working on projects in Spain and Latin America. Erin Johnson continues to be employed at J. Walter Thompson.” Um, didn’t Martinez resign four months ago? Regarding the Nestlé rumor, perhaps someone misheard something Martinez said, as his accent and lack of command of the English language allegedly lead to confusion and misinterpretation. Maybe he was insisting that he loves chocolate people, just as Donald Trump once declared he’s got a great relationship with the Blacks. Look for WPP to also announce the rehiring of Neil French, as well as the recruitment of Jim Palmer and Kevin Roberts. Oh, and Sir Martin Sorrell is a fucking hypocrite.

13291: Provocateur Or Poseur?

Campaign Editor-in-Chief Douglas Quenqua has done decent reporting in recent months, including exposing former JWT Worldwide Chairman and CEO Gustavo Martinez as an ignorant bigot. But Quenqua’s latest piece—“Cindy Gallop and the plight of the female provocateur”—warrants winning a big advertising agency copywriter job, as the editorial shows extraordinarily original and imaginative thinking.

Gallop apparently earned her “female provocateur” badge after being dissed by soon-to-be-former Saatchi & Saatchi Chairman Kevin Roberts, who opined, “I think she’s got problems that are of her own making. … I think she’s making up a lot of the stuff to create a profile, and to take applause, and to get on a soap[box].” From there, Quenqua labeled Gallop as a victim by stating, “Women who make it their business to agitate for social change, particularly if it leads to paid speaking or writing gigs, can expect regular accusations of opportunism.” Um, if that’s the worst Gallop endures, it only underscores the outrageousness of diverted diversity dimwits posing as true diversity advocates.

To clarify, diverted diversity dimwits are people who’ve jumped onto the White women bandwagon, protesting the alleged crimes that Caucasian females have endured in the advertising industry. Sure, White women are underrepresented in the upper ranks on Madison Avenue and beyond. However, besides White men, they are the most well-represented group by far. White women enjoy a lot of the same White privileges as their male counterparts. So while diverted diversity dimwits can be saluted for being concerned do-gooders, they’re more like fair weather fans, cheering an already successful team.

Riding the White women bandwagon is a drive in the country compared to fighting for true diversity. Women comprise over 50 percent of the total population in adland; hence, it’s easier to execute the six ways to rewrite gender proposed in the previous post. On the flip side, when you’re woefully underrepresented—as minorities are—building momentum is an arduous undertaking. It’s impossible to organize a Million Man March with single-digit crowds. Funding inclusive initiatives with crumbs is a financial hardship. Making more minorities visible when they’re currently invisible requires serious magic tricks. In contrast, the minority bandwagon has been deprived fuel—and even tires—for decades.

It’s true that Neil French and Kevin Roberts did terribly clumsy jobs of expressing their gender perspectives. However, the idiots’ opinions do not significantly differ from those of other industry leaders, including Sir John Hegarty. Additionally, many female advertising honchos agree that the proverbial glass ceiling is a relic of the past. Before becoming a born-again diverted diversity dimwit, FCB Global Chief Creative Officer Susan Credle confessed she didn’t believe the advertising field was tougher on women than men. To top it all off, gender diversity enthusiast Karen Mallia actually published a data-filled report explaining the dearth of dames in adland, using many of the same rationales as Messrs. French, Roberts and Hegarty.

Regarding Gallop, it’s difficult to fully embrace her as a “female provocateur” agitating for social change. There’s little evidence she marched for the cause when holding a position of power at BBH that would have allowed her to ignite the revolution. As for Quenqua’s assertion that Gallop faces gender-based backlash for her views, well, it’s hard to feel pity. As an outsider no longer professionally toiling in the field, she’s won’t suffer too much. Contrast Gallop’s plight to any adperson of color who has spoken out for diversity and against discrimination, and it’s no contest. Black executives especially have been blatantly blacklisted and blackballed for criticizing the White majority. True diversity champions such as Sanford Moore and Harry Webber—whose professional accomplishments exceed Gallop’s by leaps and bounds—established breakthrough programs to help minorities and served as fiery representatives for progress, only to be banished from Madison Avenue. On a side note, if any 56-year-old male leader regularly and openly bragged about their penchant for having sex with twentysomethings, would they remain employed very long? Gender advantages and disadvantages cut both ways—and the cuts aren’t nearly as sharp as those inflicted upon minorities.

Kudos to Quenqua for his fantasy-filled inventiveness. But he should spend some time spotlighting true diversity defenders versus cruising in the White women bandwagon.

Cindy Gallop and the plight of the female provocateur

By Douglas Quenqua

Kevin Roberts accused the outspoken diversity advocate of using the cause to glorify herself. Does it matter if he’s right?

Kevin Roberts is old enough to know what Mark Twain said about picking fights with people who buy ink by the barrel (hint: don’t do it). And he’s also young enough to know that the same warning applies to anyone with 45,000 very engaged followers on Twitter and a bio that reads, “I like to blow shit up.”

But there he was last week, publically dissing Cindy Gallop, former chairman of BBH and outspoken diversity advocate, as an opportunist who exploits issues of gender and race to raise her own profile.

“I think she’s got problems that are of her own making,” said the Saatchi & Saatchi chairman in the now-infamous Business Insider article. “I think she’s making up a lot of the stuff to create a profile, and to take applause, and to get on a soap[box].”

It may have been his comments about women in advertising and their lack of “vertical ambition” that got Roberts placed on leave. In 2016, telling a reporter that, when it comes to gender diversity, “the fucking debate is all over” is a one-way ticket to early retirement.

But it was his comments about Gallop that sealed Roberts’ fate as Public Enemy No. 1 on social media this past weekend. Once Gallop instructed “the women and men of the ad industry, all around the world, to tweet at @krconnect,’” Roberts’ chances of survival went from slim to dismal. By Saturday—barely 24 hours after the article was published—Roberts had been shown the door.

PETA, the ACLU and Cindy Gallop


Though Gallop said publicly on Monday that she won’t dignify Roberts’ comments by continuing to talk about them (she declined a request to talk for this article, too), female advocates say Roberts’ criticisms are distressingly familiar. Women who make it their business to agitate for social change, particularly if it leads to paid speaking or writing gigs, can expect regular accusations of opportunism.

“A lot of people still consider it unseemly for a woman to be self-promotional,” said Rachel Sklar, founder of female networking group The Li.st and the closest thing the tech community has to a Cindy Gallop. “Meanwhile, this guy Kevin Roberts created a hashtag out of his own name.”

Indeed, anyone who’s spent enough time eavesdropping on adland’s private conversations about Gallop has surely heard some version of Roberts’ rant: She goes too far, she blows it out of proportion, she’s only in it for herself. Like PETA or the ACLU, her actions can sometimes elicit eye-rolls from more moderate allies.

Sklar, who originated the #Changetheratio hashtag that Gallop has adopted, says men and women in tech have been accusing her of exploitation from her earliest days as a public advocate. Most famous were the barbs aimed at her by former TechCrunch editor Sarah Lacy at the 2010 TechCrunch Disrupt Conference, which Sklar had criticized for a lack of female representation.

“You’ve done great for you,” Lacy said to Sklar during a panel discussion. “You’re on stage at Disrupt, you drive lots of traffic, you get lots of attention. I think you’ve played it brilliantly.”

Such criticism is difficult to refute because it “cuts to the credibility of your motivations,” said Sklar. “When it’s first lobbed at you, your first reaction is to get defensive. Maybe they’re right! Maybe its your fault for becoming prominent by raising your voice about something that not that many people are yet raising their voice about.”

But over years of establishing herself as a force for change within the industry, Sklar says she no longer bothers to fight charges of opportunism. Instead, she asks why anyone should care. “It’s a ludicrous accusation,” she said. “What does it matter? Why is that the focus?”

“For the first time in the ad industry, there have been major consequences for explicit sexism” thanks largely to Gallop’s efforts, she continued. “And I find it really amazing that anyone would focus on, ‘Yeah but isn’t Cindy really getting something out of this? She should!”

The price of advocacy


To Gallop’s supporters, the fact that she simultaneously agitates for social change and raises her own profile doesn’t represent a conflict of interest. Jonathan Mildenhall, CMO at Airbnb, notes that Gallop plays an essential role in the industry by speaking unpleasant truths that others may shy away from. “Cindy is a provocateur for sure,” he said via email. “Even I wince a little at some of the things she says.”

“But I always credit her for having the balls to speak up,” he continued. “That said, does the industry need her? For sure. Is she making a difference? You bet. Does she benefit directly? Of course.”

Kat Gordon, founder of the 3% Conference, knows a thing or two about Gallop’s predicament. “Women who are accused of being self-serving when pointing out gender bias are in a double bind,” she said in an email message. “On the one hand, they’re missing opportunities or witnessing injustices in their companies. So they’re already in a no-win situation. Yet if they speak up about it, they’re griping, possibly because they’re ‘not a team player’ or are using their gender as an excuse for other problems in their performance.”

Which is one more reason why it’s important for everyone to speak up about workplace injustice, she says. “The ‘principle of another messenger’ phenomenon is quite powerful,” she said. “If a man points out something he notices that unfairly impacts women, he must be telling the truth. He has no ‘agenda.’ And if a white person points out something she notices that unfairly impacts people of color, she is also perceived to be telling the truth.”

Also driving the exploitation narrative are a couple of misperceptions about the life of a cultural activist, said Sklar. Most common is that the barrier to entry is low, that it costs someone nothing to make waves over an issue in an industry they’re not a part of. Just as Gallop hasn’t worked in advertising for years, Sklar had never worked for a tech startup before she raised her voice on gender issues, which helped feed resentment to her actions.

But being outside the industry gives Gallop the freedom to say things people in positions of power can’t afford to, said Ian Schafer, CEO of Deep Focus. “She’s been on the inside in an executive chairman position, but now that she’s on the outside, she can reflect on it without recourse,” he said.

“There’s no corporate PR telling her she can’t say something,” allowing her to be “a lightning rod to attract a conversation.”

It’s also a mistake to assume that the role doesn’t exact a price on the activist, said Sklar. “You’re risking people not wanting to deal with you, not wanting to book you cause they don’t want to ruffle feathers, don’t want to offend the power structure you may be challenging” she said. “I, for sure, have experienced that.”

“There should be rewards for sticking your neck out for social change,” she said. “And those rewards should not then vitiate the praise or appreciation we have for the people who take the risk in the first place.”

The publicity paradox


To be sure, there is little reason to believe Gallop’s diversity work has added considerably to her wealth or her fame. As several people interviewed for this article noted, her main business pursuits at the moment, the startups IfWeRanTheWorld and MakeLoveNotPorn, are only tangentially related to gender diversity, and she has been vocal about women’s issues in advertising since her days as an agency executive (“This has always been her thing,” noted Schafer). Exactly what Roberts believed Gallop was reaping from her advocacy work is unclear. (UPDATE: Gallop got in touch this morning to assure us that she earns “absolutely nothing” from her work on diversity and the ad industry.)

And being a relentless voice for change can, paradoxically, have a negative effect on your profile. An editor for an advertising trade publication, who requested anonymity to preserve relations with Gallop, talked about sometimes being reluctant to use her as a source.

“On the one hand, she always comes to mind when you need someone to talk about diversity,” said the editor. “She’s always good for a quote.”

“But that comes with grain of salt,” the editor continued, “because these issues are complicated, and nothing is as easy as it looks on Twitter. What Cindy is able to do is bring it down to the most simple-to-understand bit, and that makes her, on the one hand, invaluable. But I do question if we’re missing the finer points of this debate.”

That said, the debate might not be where it is today were it not for Gallop’s efforts. “Cindy’s voice, her tenacity, her presence is doing more to change the ratio of gender diversity in our industry than any other single source,” Mildenhall said. “Simply because she is directly changing the way the industry shows up and presents itself to the world.”

“Sure it’s uncomfortable for the establishment,” he continued, “but that’s because the establishment have the most to lose. And, if we are honest, what Cindy has to gain is a fraction of what the current establishment has to lose.”

13283: Grumpy Old White Men.

Campaign reported Sir Martin Sorrell took advantage of the Kevin Roberts fiasco to bash Maurice Lévy, insisting Roberts was parroting Lévy’s cluelessness. There’s definitely some validity to Sorrell’s accusation; however, in this instance, Sorrell critiquing Lévy is like the pot calling the kettle, well, White. After all, while Lévy is tainted by Roberts, Sorrell trumps the Frenchman with Gustavo Martinez and Neil French. More importantly, despite their diverted diversity triumphs, Sorrell and Lévy are equal failures at equality. The two echo each other when it comes to spewing contrived clichés and outright lies regarding real diversity.

Sorrell: Roberts’ gender diversity comments echo Lévy

By Claire Beale

WPP chief executive Martin Sorrell said Saatchi & Saatchi chairman Kevin Roberts “was only echoing the words of his boss” [Publicis Groupe chief executive Maurice Lévy] by saying the gender diversity debate is “over.”

Sorrell told Campaign: “It sounded to me that the Publicis Groupe team coach was only echoing the words of his boss (or is it team manager?) at the 4A’s conference in March, i.e. that there wasn’t a diversity issue in our industry, and that any substance, for example in the Gustavo Martinez case, was an isolated example. I tried to correct that impression at the same conference.

“The Kevin Roberts case, and indeed other examples including the long litigation in the [MSLGroup] case, which was not well reported on, clearly prove it wasn’t and that we’re all suffering from it across the industry.

“More hard work needs to be done to establish even gender balance and that’s not the end. My experience, for what it’s worth, indicates that female leadership is the most effective catalyst.

“By the way, this is not a grumpy old man speaking, just someone closely observing our industry… who would like to see effective change.”

In March, Lévy told an audience at the 4A’s Transformation conference in Miami that allegations of sexism and racism against former JWT Worldwide CEO Gustavo Martinez were “one man’s mistake” and not “exemplary of what’s happening in our industry.” Martinez resigned in March in the wake of a discrimination lawsuit.

Sorrell challenged those remarks at the same conference, accusing Lévy of “ignoring the facts”.

The WPP founder’s latest comments come after Roberts was placed on leave for remarks he made about gender diversity and women’s ambition. In an interview with Business Insider on Friday, Roberts said gender diversity is no longer a problem at his agency and that women didn’t become executives because they were happier in more humble roles.

Publicis Groupe declined to comment on Sorrell’s response and pointed to its previous statement, which distanced the company from Roberts’ views.

In a statement, Publicis Groupe said: “Diversity and inclusion are business imperatives on which Publicis Groupe will not negotiate.

Promoting gender equality starts at the top and the Groupe will not tolerate anyone speaking for our organisation who does not value the importance of inclusion. Publicis Groupe works very hard to champion diversity and will continue to insist that each agency’s leadership be champions of both diversity and inclusion.”

13246: Odious Ogre Orlov Out.

Campaign reported RAPP Global CEO Alexei Orlov resigned, presumably in response to a lawsuit branding him a sexist, racist, harassing bully. Now, such character defects are hardly unique for the average honcho in the advertising industry. For proof, simply combine the RAPP debacle with the Campbell Ewald and Gustavo Martinez scenarios to complete a culturally clueless trifecta featuring the Big Three holding companies (Campbell Ewald represents IPG, Martinez represents WPP and RAPP represents Omnicom). WPP Overlord Sir Martin Sorrell probably breathed a sigh of relief to realize he doesn’t employ Orlov, as it would have demonstrated a pattern of bad boy behavior dating back to former WPP Worldwide Creative Director Neil French at least. But wait! Orlov was on the WPP payroll while leading Wunderman from 2000-2008—so it’s tough for Sir Marty to ignore the facts. Somebody please ask Cyrus Mehri to dust off the Madison Avenue Project.

Rapp global boss Alexei Orlov resigns amid racism, sexism claims

By Shona Ghosh

The global CEO was hit with accusations he’d derided women and Jews in a suit brought by former US President Gregg Anderson

Rapp’s global chief executive officer, Alexei Orlov, has resigned in the midst of allegations about bullying, sexism, racism and harassment.

Orlov is replaced by Marco Scognamiglio, considered his number two and formerly the agency’s president for EMEA, APAC and executive vice president for client relations.

Scognamiglio, a Rapp veteran of 17 years, will work closely with chief operating officer and chief financial officer Matthew Hafkin.

The agency is currently battling a lawsuit brought by former US president, Greg Andersen, who is suing for wrongful termination, retaliation and discrimination. Andersen claims he was sacked after complaining about Orlov to Rapp’s HR department.

His catalogue of claims against Orlov include the outgoing CEO’s alleged description of women as “fat cows” and stereotyping a Jewish colleague as “miserly.”

Sources have also pointed out to Campaign the long list of leavers from the Omnicom agency’s London shop, blaming wider bullying and abuse.

Rapp denied Andersen’s allegations in a statement filed to the LA Superior Court earlier this month, and described his sacking as “lawful and appropriate.” It has also denied the allegations made to Campaign about its London arm.

Neither the agency nor Orlov commented directly on the lawsuit, with the latter stating: “I am very proud that Rapp has grown in terms of clients and scope of work, which is a testament to our incredible talent.

“Marco and I have worked closely across a number of initiatives these past two years, and Rapp is in good hands.”

It is not known whether Orlov has a job to go to.

13242: Cons Of Cannes.

Marketing Magazine spotlighted the big winners at Cannes, and the list shows how cheating and cultural cluelessness will never adversely affect an agency’s chances for awards success. AlmapBBDO was named Agency of the Year, despite being caught entering a sexist scam ad which temporarily won a Bronze Lion—and there were seven women serving as judges in the category. Meanwhile, 180LA won the Grand Prix for Good, despite also producing a racist spot for 360FLY. Expect Cannes 2017 to feature keynote speakers Gustavo Martinez and Neil French—who both worked for WPP, honored as Holding Company of the Year.

AlmapBBDO, Droga5, Ogilvy, WPP, Tool, UNICEF Got Final Top Honors at Cannes

Cannes Lions announced its final winners on Saturday night (25 June) with WPP and Ogilvy & Mather both continuing and extending their winning streaks by receiving the Holding Company of the Year for the sixth year in a row and Network of the Year awards for the fifth consecutive year. The Agency of the Year award went to AlmapBBDO, while Droga5 won the Independent Agency of the Year award for the second year in a row.

WPP, of which agencies from 46 countries won Lions this year, won Holding Company of the Year, followed by Omnicom in second place and Interpublic in third. Ogilvy & Mather, got 120 Lions across 31 offices “earned Network of the Year, followed in second by BBDO and in third by Y&R.

The Agency of the Year award, collected from all the awarded and shortlisted work earned by a single agency, was won by AlmapBBDO – which was subdued to some controversy and had to return a Bronze Lion for a Bayer campaign the client did not even pay to run. The Palme D’Or which honours the most awarded production company, went to Tool (USA).

REI’s Anti-Black Friday (also called “the greatest anti promotion of all time) campaign #OptOutside won the Titanium Grand Prix. Just a few days earlier, the campaign won top award in Promo & Activation. “We loved it because it took Black Friday, this day when people are driven to spend even more money, and REI decided to do the opposite and close their stores, asking everyone and their staff to go outside and have a good time,” said jury president and BBH founder Sir John Hegarty at the press conference.

However, Harvey Nichols and Under Armour took top Film Lions for Film. Adam&EveDDB‘s “Shoplifters” for Harvey Nichols and Droga5‘s “Rule Yourself: Michael Phelps” for Under Armour took the same prize in Film Craft.

“The Grand Prix goes to a new way to use security camera footage to sell a rewards card, of all things, for a retailer. It’s just a phenomenal piece,” Film Lions jury president Joe Alexander, chief creative officer at The Martin Agency said. “I think the best pieces now cross over. This one ran in cinema, it ran as an incredible viral piece. It’s a very modern piece of film that lived in both worlds.”

According to the Film Craft jury, Droga5 was competing against itself as they had to choose between “Rule Yourself: Michael Phelps” and Droga5’s Hennessy’s “The Piccards,” before finally choosing the former. “We chose this piece because, at the end, it’s the one that transcended the craft and just reached out and touched us,” said Film Craft juror Steffen Gentis, chief production officer of BBDO Germany. “The craft became completely invisible, and we just found ourselves completely immersed.”

180LA and UNICEF got the Grand Prix for Good for “Malak and the Boat,” from the “Unfairy Tales” campaign that features a series of films that first seem to start out like sweet stories but then take turn: the children are actually running for their lives from war-torn Syria.

BBH New York’s “FU2016” campaign for House of Cards’ fourth season earned took home the top prize in Integrated. Integrated juror Pete Favat, chief creative officer of Deutsch, said BBH New York‘s campaign hit all the right marks in the category. “We were looking for brilliant execution through the line of every one of the pieces,” Favat said. “This was a slam dunk.”

13142: ADCOLOR® To Honor Martinez.

ADCOLOR® announced it will present a special trophy to former JWT Worldwide Chairman and CEO Gustavo Martinez at the 10th Annual ADCOLOR® Conference and Awards scheduled to take place September 18-21 in Boca Raton, Florida. The organization received a flood of nominations for the beleaguered Martinez, mostly from JWT staffers who also signed affidavits in support of their ex-leader. The JWT staffers declared, “Gustavo’s lack of command of the English language—as well as his lack of political correctness—shouldn’t prohibit him from being saluted.” ADCOLOR® plans to have Martinez introduced at the ceremony by former WPP executive Neil French.

JWT Communications Director Erin Johnson forwarded a statement from Martinez, who expressed his gratitude for the unique recognition. “I’m very thankful to all the monkeys, apes and fucking Jews at ADCOLOR® for honoring me,” remarked Martinez. “I look forward to returning to Florida, provided the gala event isn’t held in a hotel where I might be raped in the elevator—not in a nice way.”

Publicis Groupe Chairman and CEO Maurice Lévy declined to comment, much to the relief of the Paris-based holding company’s public relations department and legal counsel.

13141: Commodore Clan To The Rescue!

Advertising Age reported a group of JWT executives filed affidavits in support of former JWT Worldwide Chairman and CEO Gustavo Martinez. The group’s legal statements focus on videotaped remarks Martinez allegedly made during a 2015 JWT meeting in Miami. The night before the meeting, the hotel apparently hosted a “rowdy” party attended by many Blacks. The next day, Martinez allegedly said he “found … different and strange characters in the elevator,” and added, “I was thinking I was going to be raped at the elevator,” but “not in a nice way.” The affidavits included, “We heard the comments that Gustavo made that are alleged in the complaint and at issue in this motion. Given the content of the highly unusual events occurring at the hotel in the night before the meetings, combined with Gustavo’s lack of command of the English language and the fact that he was making a joke about himself, we did not find the comments he made offensive. It was clear that Gustavo was trying to ease the tension that we were all feeling and the people in the room seemed to appreciate his attempt to do so.” Wow, that’s mighty White of them. Although one of the JWT supporters identified himself as Black and stated, “I am African-American and I took responsibility as executive producer of [JWT diversity program/smokescreen] Differenter because diversity is an issue I feel passionate about. The comments Gustavo made during the meeting had nothing to do with race and I did not feel at the time of the meeting or now that there was anything racist about them.” Okey-doke. But joking about getting raped “not in a nice way” is pretty inappropriate and ignorant too. Plus, who gets to decide whether or not something is offensive? Being the resident diversity advocate doesn’t make one an expert or official spokesperson on anything. Need proof? Check out the majority of Chief Diversity Officers. And excusing stupidity on “Gustavo’s lack of command of the English language” is pathetic. If things go worse for Martinez, the affidavits signers could look bad. Have any of them—besides the Differenter dude—ever defended diversity? What’s next? A corporate pardon for former WPP executive Neil French?

JWT Execs File Affidavits Saying Allegations Against Martinez Are Overblown

WPP Seeks Protective Order to Seal Video That Purportedly Shows Incident

By Maureen Morrison

WPP and JWT are seeking to seal a video that lawyers for Erin Johnson have asked to be admitted into evidence in a suit filed March 10 against JWT and its CEO Gustavo Martinez claiming that he made multiple racist and sexist remarks.

While the affidavits and protection order focus on the video, Ms. Johnson alleged a number of other incidents in her lawsuit, many of which she claims were witnessed by other JWT employees.

The agency and holding company last night filed a number of documents to the courts, including a motion for a protective order for the video and affidavits from senior executives supporting that order. The protective order seeks to seal the video Ms. Johnson’s lawyers submitted. Not much detail is given in the protective order why the company is looking to seal the video.

The video has become a major point of contention for this case. Ms. Johnson said in her original lawsuit that there was video of Mr. Martinez making racist comments. It later came out that the tape in question was from a company meeting at a hotel in Miami. On March 14, Ms. Johnson’s team filed an amended filing that sought to submit a DVD into evidence, saying the disc “contains an excerpt of the video footage from the May 2015 meeting in Miami.”

That was a reference to a company off-site meeting where Ms. Johnson’s original suit said Mr. Martinez made inappropriate comments. “On or about May 18, 2015, Martinez addressed a group of approximately 60 employees for a global meeting to pilot a new agency method for generating ideas,” the suit said. “The previous night, there had been a large party at the hotel’s night club attended by mostly African American guests. At the start of his presentation, Martinez described the hotel as ‘tricky.’ He explained that he ‘found … different and strange characters in the elevator.’ He further explained, ‘I was thinking I was going to be raped at the elevator,’ but ‘not in a nice way.’”

The judge assigned to the lawsuit against JWT and its now-former chairman-CEO Gustavo Martinez on March 21 ordered the plaintiff to provide copies of a contested video to him and the defendants for review.

“We were all in attendance at the JWT two-day meeting at the Viceroy Hotel in Miami on Monday, May 18 and Tuesday, May 19, 2015,” said a joint affidavit from Lynn Power, president of JWT New York; Matt Eastwood, chief creative officer of JWT; Amy Avery, global head of analytics at the agency; Jinal Shah, global digital strategic director and many other JWT senior executives.

“We are aware of several problems that occurred at the hotel before and during those meetings,” the document said. “We know that the police were dealing with a rowdy crowd at the hotel on a Sunday night and we are aware that employees believed that they had things stolen at the hotel. Events at the hotel caused apprehension amongst the JWT employees.”

The document continued: “We heard the comments that Gustavo made that are alleged in the complaint and at issue in this motion. Given the content of the highly unusual events occurring at the hotel in the night before the meetings, combined with Gustavo’s lack of command of the English language and the fact that he was making a joke about himself, we did not find the comments he made offensive. It was clear that Gustavo was trying to ease the tension that we were all feeling and the people in the room seemed to appreciate his attempt to do so.”

It also said: “While we would not have chosen the same words he did, it was clear that he was not creating an uncomfortable atmosphere for the company’s employees, but rather he was sincerely trying to make us feel as relaxed for the important day ahead despite an unfortunate series of events outside of the company’s control.”

Other affidavits filed include one from Keni Thacker, senior event technology specialist. He filmed the video in question and said in the document that he is executive producer of Differenter, JWT’s diversity and inclusion program. “I have read the complaint and some of the press coverage of same, which characterize the comments that Gustavo Martinez made at the meeting as racist,” he said in the document. “I am African-American and I took responsibility as executive producer of Differenter because diversity is an issue I feel passionate about. The comments Gustavo made during the meeting had nothing to do with race and I did not feel at the time of the meeting or now that there was anything racist about them.”

13131: Diverted Diversity Advocates.

Adweek rendered a ridiculous report regarding responses to the resignation of former JWT Worldwide Chairman and CEO Gustavo Martinez, featuring a subhead that read, “Diversity advocates see mixed signals in ouster of JWT’s Martinez .” The ridiculousness comes from using the label of “diversity advocates” in reference to the idiots interviewed.

The first “diversity advocate”—FCB Global Chief Talent Officer Cindy Augustine—offered the following bullshit:

“This is a moment where people will look at us and wonder whether there is progress being made. This is the time to redouble our efforts. There are lots of efforts being made, and I think that will continue; this is definitely not the time to take our foot off the gas. It reminds everyone, whether in the ad industry or society at large, that this is a systemic issue everywhere. We are not exempt.

“We’re pretty proud of our efforts. We have [global chief creative officer] Susan Credle, and we have Dana Maiman who runs FCB Health, which is one of the biggest healthcare practices out there. Under [global CEO Carter Murray], probably half of the team members are women. We are very proud and we are just beginning, but we don’t need to be an exception.”

Augustine is exceptionally dumb. She hinted at her dumbness when ripping Raven-Symoné last year, and confirmed it with this latest verbal vomit. To excuse the industry’s diversity disaster as “a systemic issue everywhere” is dodging responsibility and accountability in grand style. To proudly point to promoting White women as progress is pathetic. Sorry, but FCB today is closer to being like IPG sister agency Campbell Ewald versus the revolutionary company envisioned by former Draftfcb President and CEO Laurence Boschetto.

The second “diversity advocate”—the 100% annoying Kat Gordon—added the following drivel:

“No agency is immune from instances of sexual harassment. Nor does it indicate a toxic agency environment. The single most critical thing is that an agency has a clear no-tolerance plan in place and that it enforces that policy swiftly and emphatically should proof of harassment be in evidence. The JWT case is a cautionary tale of what happens when an agency fails to take complaints of harassment seriously when they are first raised.”

Of course, Gordon only sees a sexual harassment case, despite the fact that the charges include anti-Semitism and racism. Additionally, she’s delusional to believe any agency “has a clear no-tolerance plan” that’s actually being enforced. Hell, she’ll probably have trouble finding takers for her certifiably inane certification program to benefit White women.

The third “diversity advocate”—Nancy Vonk—dumped the following dung:

“If the JWT allegations are true, the world just witnessed that sweeping it under the rug is a terrible strategy. … Maybe at this point we can all agree, there’s a better way to address harassment claims. Now company leaders need to state loud and clear that it’s the right thing to do and it’s safe to do it. The unwritten rules that have been at play from the beginning of time need to be torn up, and new ones that support employees need to be displayed in neon in our workplaces. Nothing short of consistent demonstrations that claims will be met with swift action, with no penalty to the employee, will convince people they can and should bring their problems forward. … This could take a while. If history shows [plaintiff Erin Johnson] told the truth, history will show she was a very brave person who helped us all.”

Vonk views the JWT scenario as primarily a sexual harassment case too, which isn’t surprising, given that her “diversity advocate” title is the result of having spanked Neil French in 2005. However, Vonk’s pontifications regarding protecting whistleblowers are outrageous. The woman is clearly ignorant regarding the many minorities who’ve been blacklisted for protesting the discrimination and racism still prevalent in the advertising industry. It should be noted that Vonk’s French rant was titled, “Female Like Me,” an apparent nod to the popular “Black Like Me” book.

For Adweek to deem these three stooges “diversity advocates” is a sad reflection of the state of affairs in the advertising industry, where diverted diversity is the inclusive bandwagon of the moment. Why has no one been asked to comment on the anti-Semitism and racism in the scenario? Could Adweek even identify individuals qualified to speak on such matters? It would be a monumental challenge for anyone to name five legitimate diversity advocates working on Madison Avenue today.

12701: Hegarty Hypocrisy.

Campaign spoke with the ever-culturally-clueless Sir John Hegarty, and the old man presented a few gems:

The conversation strays on to the subject of women in the industry. The agency Hegarty founded now has a good record of supporting and promoting women, with senior executives including Mel Exon, Rosie Arnold and Caroline Pay.

“You’ve got to do as much as you can to encourage women as we do at BBH. We do everything that we possibly can,” Hegarty says. But he is adamant about one thing: “There is no glass ceiling in our industry.”

Although Hegarty says it is a predominantly white, middle-class, masculine industry and suffers because of it, he is “constantly bemused” by why that is: “It didn’t set out to be that. It’s the most egalitarian industry in the world. We don’t care who you are. Are you good? Are you entrepreneurial? Have you got an interesting mind? Come on in.”

As Hegarty sees it, the biggest problem is women taking career breaks to have children, then struggling to rejoin an industry that has moved on: “It’s very, very hard and I sympathise with that enormously. Of course we should be doing everything we can to help. But the thing about a creative career is that, if you are not doing it every day, you are not getting better every day. It’s like a sports person. If you are 24 years old and a tennis player, you can’t take a year off; you’ve lost the momentum. You can’t accuse our hugely competitive industry of being competitive.”

But surely he thinks it’s unfair for women to have to take the hit on their careers to bring up children?

Hegarty says: “What are you going to do about it? On average, men live a shorter amount of time than women. That’s really unfair. I think we should make that an issue. Maybe that’s the price I’ve paid for doing the work I’ve done, and building the companies I’ve built, and providing for my family: I don’t live as long.”

It’s hard to tell whether he is being mischievous or deadly serious. But he continues: “We have to talk about this. In life, you can’t have it all and you have to make choices. Be aware of those choices. Life has sacrifice in it. My parents’ generation went to war so I could go to school. You have to accept what you are and the decisions you make.”

Hegarty admits adland is predominately White and male—and he feigns concern that the field suffers from the exclusivity—yet he’s unable to figure out why diversity remains a dream deferred and denied. Plus, the idiot essentially serves up a polite version of the Neil French perspective on women in advertising. Finally, Hegarty has the audacity to proclaim, “[Advertising’s] the most egalitarian industry in the world. We don’t care who you are. Are you good? Are you entrepreneurial? Have you got an interesting mind? Come on in.” But don’t “come on in” if you’re a minority—just drop off a resume and maybe Hegarty will get back to you at his discriminatory discretion. Or maybe not.

11487: Misogynists Meet Feminists.

Adweek reported Elle U.K. asked three advertising agencies—Brave, Mother and Wieden + Kennedy—to rebrand feminism. Um, asking ad shops to rebrand feminism is like assigning the heads of Barilla and Chick-fil-A to rebrand LGBT. Or charging the KKK with rebranding diversity. Or letting The Richards Group rebrand Summer’s Eve. Why, it’s a wonder no one thought to call in Neil French.