17497: Different Outhouse, Same Shit—Brought To You By Adland.

Adweek reported the former McCann Worldwide CCO, who left Omnicom Advertising after the acquisition of IPG, returned to Publicis Groupe, where he formerly served as Saatchi & Saatchi US and Latin America CCO, and will now serve as Leo Constellation Americas and Iberia CCO.

 

The winding opening sentence above underscores how White holding companies—and a single White operating company—have fueled the commoditization of Adland, whereby people, places, and practices are repetitive, redundant, and replaceable.

 

Why, even C-suite leaders shift from White advertising agency to White advertising agency, confirming all firms are essentially identical.

 

Of course, the drones must weather the storms of change, often cast away and lost in a sea of sameness.

 

The Adweek report closes with the most outrageous statement: “Part of his remit also includes recruiting and developing the agency’s talent pipeline.”

 

Recruiting and developing the agency’s talent pipeline?! Um, the newish CCO will draw from his limited pool of connections at Publicis Groupe, Omnicom Advertising, and the erased IPG to maintain the cronyism, exclusivity, and systemic racism in Adland.

 

Publicis Groupe Taps Javier Campopiano Following Omnicom Exit

 

He’ll join Leo Constellation as CCO for the Americas and Iberia

 

By Hannah Bowler

 

Two weeks after announcing his departure from Omnicom Advertising, Javier Campopiano is joining Publicis Groupe as global chief creative officer (CCO) for Leo Constellation Americas and Iberia.

 

The former McCann Worldgroup and McCann Worldwide CCO left Omnicom just six months after taking on his latest role following its acquisition of Interpublic Group (IPG) in December 2025.

 

His appointment at Publicis follows the group’s $2.2bn purchase of LiveRamp. In a statement, Publicis CEO Arthur Sadoun, said Campopiano’s appointment showed the holdco’s commitment to creativity alongside such investments.

 

“Javier’s return is the latest demonstration of our commitment to investing in what remains a key differentiator for our clients: the very best talent, to drive creativity in all of its forms,” he said.

 

A return to Publicis

 

The move marks Campopiano’s return to Publicis Groupe where he previously served as CCO for Saatchi & Saatchi U.S. and Latin America. Campopiano initially left Publicis Group in 2022 to join Grey, also in a CCO role.

 

In a statement, Campopiano said his return had been on the cards for a while. “For years, Marco and I had this running joke where he would text me ‘come home’ completely out of the blue, and I would immediately reply ‘pronto.’ Well, the time has finally come,” he said.

 

At Leo Constellation he will report to global co-CEO’s Agathe Bousquet and Marco Venturelli. The pair said Campopiano was one of most respected creative leaders in adland. And added: “His ability to combine craft, humanity and impact makes him the perfect person to lead our creative community across the Americas and Iberia.”

 

Campopiano is a decorated exec having earned himself Cannes Lions, Clios, The ANDY Awards and D&AD’s.

 

At Leo Constellation he’ll work closely with the leadership team overseeing creative strategy and output across the group for both global and regional brands. Part of his remit also includes recruiting and developing the agency’s talent pipeline.

16014: Procter & Gamble Brushes Off Plaque With Performative Propaganda.

 

The Drum reported on the latest heat shield from Procter & Gamble—Closing America’s Smile Gap—whereby Crest and Oral-B will significantly impact the dental divide for children in underserved communities by 2030. The promotional propaganda was co-produced by Publicis Groupe and Saatchi & Saatchi enterprises, meaning P&G continues to partner with White advertising agencies, effectively extending Adland’s racial and ethnic gap into the 21st century and beyond. In short, the exclusive exercise will generate lots of White smiles.

 

Crest and Oral-B aim to close the ‘Smile gap’ among all American children

 

By Audrey Kemp

 

‘Closing America’s Smile Gap’ aims to shed light on the grave oral health inequities that exist – and help solve them.

 

Procter & Gamble-owned dental brands Crest and Oral-B are on a mission to close what they call the ‘Smile gap’ in America, one tube of toothpaste and toothbrush at a time.

 

‘Closing America’s Smile Gap’ is Crest and Oral-B’s way of shedding light on the painful reality that kids in underserved communities simply don’t get the oral care they need. The ‘Smile gap,’ as coined by the brands, begins every day in the bathrooms of children when they don’t have access to basic tools to brush their teeth, and spreads to their ability to access dental education, access and treatment. In the campaign, children are seen ‘brushing’ their teeth with their finger and water instead of proper oral hygiene tools.

 

The two brands strive to ensure that every kid in the US has access to Crest toothpaste and Oral-B toothbrushes, as well as preventative and restorative dental care by pledging to donate materials with every product purchased.

 

“Crest and Oral-B believe every kid has the right to a healthy smile and the opportunities it brings ... But kids in underserved communities suffer from tooth decay two times more than their peers – that’s a real challenge,” said Carlos De Jesus, senior vice-president, Crest and Oral-B, North America. “We call that the ‘Smile gap’ [and] we are working every day to help close it ... Making sure every kid in the US has what they need to brush their teeth every day is our first step in the journey to closing America’s smile gap. We will keep working towards this for as long as it takes and until everyone cares as much as we do.”

 

Crest and Oral-B have carried out several mission-driven campaigns before as part of their mission to provide oral care to 20 million smiles in need by 2030. These efforts include donating $2.5m worth of product, hosting 24 local community events for free dental screenings and education in the past year, forming partnerships with 400,000 dental professionals across the country and establishing dental school scholarships for underserved students.

 

The brands also strive to get their school curriculum surrounding oral care in schools across America, as well as diversify the staff of the dental industry so that children can be treated by people who understand their unique needs.

 

As part of Publicis Groupe’s PGOne, MSL was the campaign’s lead creative agency, while Saatchi & Saatchi and PXP handled supporting production. The final ad will go live in The New York Times today.

15979: NBA Signs White Advertising Agency To Play In UK.

 

Campaign reported that the NBA awarded a creative contract to Saatchi & Saatchi London to grow its footprint in the European region. Wonder how NBA players would react upon learning that a White advertising agency is now hyping the league.

 

Granted, the assignment is targeting audiences in Europe. But still. White advertising agencies in the U.K. mirror the same failings with diversity as U.S. counterparts.

 

Did Majority Agency—co-founded by Shaquille O’Neal—get a shot in the pitch competition? Maybe it would have been a conflict of interest, as O’Neal is a professional sports commentator. Or perhaps his experience and expertise would lead to extraordinary concepts.

 

Also, did Goodby Silverstein & Partners whine about the final score?

15452: Peroni Pooh-Poohs Precautions.

 

Saatchi & Saatchi in Italy is responsible for this feel-good message for Peroni. Okay, but keep in mind that the country is seriously struggling with COVID-19…

15144: D&AD&Divertsity.

White woman presents Black Pencils. Perfect.

15142: Saatchi & Saatchi Promotes White Supremacy, Er, White Power.

Saatchi & Saatchi in Thailand created an Oral-B campaign featuring the tagline, “White is Great.” Brilliant. Oh, and the concept presents light-skinned casting too.

 

 

 

15111: Saatchi & Saatchi Puts The Ass In Stained Glass.

 

 

Saatchi & Saatchi in Ukraine presents another example of awards show advertising that is anything but award worthy. And this shit could be categorized as sinfully bad.

 

14963: Saatchi & Saatchi Denmark Doesn’t Have A Leg To Stand On.

Saatchi & Saatchi Denmark is responsible for this divertisement hyping gender equality. Um, is Saatchi & Saatchi really qualified to pontificate on the subject? Really? The long-winded and air-headed concept explanation below requires sitting down.

“We’ve created the campaign for KiB (Women On Boards) — an organization fighting to give women more influence at the top of Danish businesses. Up until now it has been a struggle for KiB to create the needed impact, mainly because a great deal of Danish companies have not been interested in a dialogue as to the benefits of having more women in top positions. So, we had to come up with an extra ordinary campaign to break the wall of silence”, says Annette Piilgaard, CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi Denmark.

“We knew we had to come up with something mind provoking and at the same time very easy to decode. And what would do the job better than sending the companies a brand-new modern chair ... with a missing leg to tell the story about the imbalance? The link from the three-legged chair to the need for more women in leadership positions and boardrooms is a very clear and concrete symbol that creates great impact”, explains Sabine Herskind, Creative Director of Saatchi & Saatchi Denmark.

“The strategy was to put pressure on the companies receiving the chair with the missing leg — a leg we would bring to a meeting if they invited us for dialogue. So, we decided to go public with the names of the companies we approached. It has been provoking, but highly effective”, says Annette Piilgaard.

The campaign was launched in the beginning of January created instantly created a very broad and positive reaction. Besides securing meetings with leading companies, it has also generated a long range of articles in the Danish press supporting the campaign. In addition, the Danish Ministry of Industry, Business and Financial Affairs have also reached out to initiate a dialogue.

“We could not have wished for a better reaction and it feels great to have generated the reach we were aiming for. At this point, 7 out of 10 have invited us to a meeting and we are extremely happy for the positive feedback. But what matters the most is the end result; more women in leading positions in Danish top companies”, says Gitte Maya Elsing, chairwoman of KiB.

14955: Gimme A Break, Kit Kat Copy Cat.

Sorry, still annoyed by advertisers trying to cash in on the COVID-19 pandemic. The creative hacks at Saatchi & Saatchi in Israel responsible for this work should definitely be quarantined indefinitely. Here’s an explanation of the concept:

In a world where all government systems and experts are busy fighting the Corona virus, what can a chocolate brand do to contribute to the fight? Well, let’s be honest not very much. But that didn't stop Elite’s “Keef Kef” brand from playing its humble part.

Elite chocolate’s “Keef-Kef” bar is an iconic chocolate bar every Israeli has grown up on. Its name is based on two words which taken together mean fun. But when you break up the combination, you’ll notice that the first word is “Keef” — the Hebrew word for “High Five”.

So right after the Israeli Ministry of Health released the Corona coping guidelines that included a ban on hand shakes and high fives of all kinds, we embarked on a billboard and social media Real Time Marketing campaign. We deleted the first half of the brand’s name (“Keef” which means “high five”) and left only the fun (“Kef” in Hebrew slang).

14832: Operation Black Vote Underscores Lack Of Black Voices In Adland.

This Operation Black Vote campaign—created by Saatchi & Saatchi UK—was described as follows:

The forthcoming election is broadly seen as one of the most important political events in generations. The campaign’s central message is that if BAME communities, and young people in general do not register to vote, others with often controversial views, will speak for them. OBV is a not for profit, non-party political organisation focussed on voter registration and getting the vote out, political mentoring and nurturing leadership. Its foundations are based on the four pillars of education, participation, representation and equality promotion.

The quotes contain controversial views and statements from politicians which insensitively address issues of race, religion, women, sexuality and climate change. These quotes are brought to life by actors in real life environments such as bars and restaurants, with the film capturing the stunned reactions of their friends.

Okay, but it should be noted that even when featuring real politicians, the White advertising agency opted to use stock photography.

It should also be noted that Black women don’t have a voice or get a vote in White advertising agencies like Saatchi & Saatchi.

14800: Wunderman Thompson CCO Is An Oxymoron—And Anyone Taking The Role Is Likely A Moron.

Adweek reported Wunderman Thompson hired a White man as its new North America CCO. Why would Wunderman Thompson—a mutant marriage of two historically uncreative enterprises—even need a creative leader? Plus, the man comes from Saatchi & Saatchi New York, where he held the same title for less than a year. Wayner is essentially bouncing from one outhouse to another. And he offsets the faux diversity that the White advertising agency is seeking to fabricate. It’s amazing the shop didn’t tap a White woman for the position.

Wunderman Thompson Names Taras Wayner North America CCO

He leaves Saatchi & Saatchi New York for new role

By Doug Zanger

Taras Wayner, the creative leader who may be best known for his contributions to R/GA’s “Love Has No Labels,” is joining Wunderman Thompson as the agency’s chief creative officer in North America. Wayner is departing Saatchi & Saatchi New York, where he was in the same role for a little over a year.

Wayner was at R/GA for about 12 years and was the other half of the powerhouse creative leadership duo that included Chloe Gottlieb, who left for Google in May 2018. Wayner then served with Richard Ting before announcing the move to Saatchi in July 2018.

“We embrace a culture of creative bravery—it’s the lifeblood of our business,” said Shane Atchison, CEO of Wunderman Thompson North America, in a statement. “Taras is a huge talent and an even better human being.”

“As creativity continues to be the most sustainable competitive advantage for our clients, this demands a tremendous amount of diverse ability in any creative leader,” added Daniel Bonner, global chief creative officer of brand experience at Wunderman Thompson. “It calls for pioneers that can boast a unique track record of building teams, creating industry-defining work and leading brands to the most inspirational answers to problems, again and again. The good news for our agency and our clients is that Taras is most definitely a shining example of this rare breed.”

In addition to his team’s groundbreaking work for the Ad Council, Wayner has had a hand in successful campaigns for Fox, Coca-Cola, Samsung, the NFL, Nike, Verizon and Beats by Dre. The Fox Sports work nabbed a Cannes Grand Prix in 2001 and was inducted into the Clio Hall of Fame.

Wayner will report to Wunderman Thompson’s North America CEO Shane Atchison in the new role.

For its part, Saatchi & Saatchi is on the hunt for a new creative leader in the U.S. market. At the time of his appointment, Wayner took over for Javier Campopiano, who helmed the wildly successful “It’s a Tide Ad” campaign. In May 2018, the Argentinian rejoined FCB Mexico as a partner and CCO.

14406: Toyota And Burrell To Play In The Super Bowl.

Advertising Age reported Toyota handed a Super Bowl assignment to Burrell Communications, the automaker’s Black advertising agency. So after five years, Total Toyota actually reduced the total control enjoyed by White advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi? Well, at least there’s less of a chance that the spot will be shot on a former slave plantation.

Toyota gives its multicultural shop, Burrell, a Super Bowl assignment

The automaker will plug its RAV4 crossover

By E.J. Schultz

Toyota will appear in the Super Bowl for the second straight year, and the automaker is giving its multicultural agency, Burrell Communications, the assignment. The ad will be for the 2019 RAV4 compact crossover.

Saatchi & Saatchi normally takes the creative lead on Toyota’s big general market campaigns, including previous Super Bowl ads. So Burrell’s assignment represents a significant win for the agency.

“Toyota’s multi-agency approach is part of the brand’s broader strategy to embrace diversity nuances throughout the strategy, creative and communications of all its campaigns,” Toyota said in a statement. Saatchi & Saatchi will handle “media and communications strategies” for the ad, according to the statement. But “the Super Bowl execution will tap into learnings to have Burrell Communications develop and produce the creative.”

Burrell, which is on Toyota’s roster of regular agencies, is on the upswing thanks in part to its new Social Listening Lab. The proprietary tool, developed in 2017, gathers feedback for campaigns and pitches from a focus group of 10,000 African-American influencers with a combined reach of 115 million consumers.

Toyota sat out the 2017 Super Bowl, but came back in 2018 in a big way with three ads: two 60-second spots and one 30-second ad. It represented Toyota’s biggest Super Bowl ad buy ever. The 2018 game was broadcast by NBC, which also aired the Olympics starting just days later. Toyota is an Olympics sponsor, and has a tight relationship with NBC, so the large ad buy made sense.

A Toyota spokeswoman declined to reveal the length or creative details for the ad for Super Bowl LIII, which will be carried by CBS on Feb. 3.

Ed Laukes, head of marketing for the Toyota Division, told Automotive News that RAV4 is worthy of the “biggest set of eyeballs on the planet” that it will get with the Super Bowl ad. The vehicle, which was redesigned for 2019, is the best-selling nonpickup in the nation, according to Automotive News.

Toyota is the fourth automaker to confirm a Super Bowl ad buy, following Mercedes-Benz, Kia and Hyundai.

Last season, 11 auto commercials ran featuring six brands: Ram and Jeep (both owned by Fiat-Chrysler), as well as Hyundai, Kia, Toyota and Toyota-owned Lexus. In the 2017 game, eight automakers ran a total of 10 ads. Lexus has not commented on its plans for 2019. Honda has confirmed to Ad Age that it will sit out the game for the second straight year. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, a regular Super Bowl advertiser, has not yet made its plans public, and typically does not do so until the week leading up to the game.

13939: Publicis Pile Of One.

Adweek reported Publicis Groupe will streamline operations by moving major U.S. agencies into shared offices. The holding company is positioning the action as symbolic of the organization’s “Power of One” theme, but it feels more like the power of procurement. What’s the point of investing in Marcel if everyone’s going to be in the same location? Plus, it’s another example of industry commoditization, where individual White advertising agencies are essentially generic—they all look alike. Then again, watch for Publicis to also fold their minority shops into the common buildings and call it a diversity initiative.

Publicis Groupe Is Moving All Agencies Into Shared Offices in Its Major U.S. Cities

‘Power of One’ approach continues apace

By Patrick Coffee

As part of its ongoing attempt to streamline operations around the world, Publicis Groupe announced this week that each of its agencies will combine offices in six major U.S. cities: New York, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Atlanta and San Francisco.

This means that, moving forward, every Publicis-owned company in those locations will be housed a single building.

“In the spirit of the Power of One, we strive to better serve our clients through deeper collaboration, cross-agency sharing and insight,” said a Publicis Groupe spokesperson. “As we often do, we are continually considering opportunities to consolidate our operations in major cities where it makes sense for both our clients and people.”

According to parties familiar with the matter, employees of all Publicis agencies, including Leo Burnett, Saatchi & Saatchi, BBH, Publicis Worldwide, Spark Foundry, Starcom Worldwide, SapientRazorfish, DigitasLBi and MSLGroup learned about the change on Tuesday.

The news follows an announcement in September that Saatchi & Saatchi would move out of its lower Manhattan headquarters after more than 30 years and relocate to the Publicis Groupe hub at 1675 Broadway in Midtown.

In Chicago, all Publicis entities will be located at 35 West Wacker Drive, long known as “The Leo Burnett Building.” The Boston office at 40 Water St. in Congress Square is currently the shared headquarters of DigitasLBi and SapientRazorfish, while Atlanta’s 384 Northyards Blvd. houses Moxie Interactive and the Detroit offices of Leo Burnett and MSLGroup are located at 3310 West Big Beaver Rd. in Troy, Mich. The San Francisco location does not appear to have been determined at this time.

Two people with knowledge of the moves said they were not related to any further reorganization or staffing reduction across the Publicis Groupe in North America. It is not clear whether they will have any operational affect on the individual agencies involved.

Over the past two years, the holding group has moved through several stages of restructuring, creating four global “solutions hubs” and naming a new generation of leaders including, most prominently, CEO Arthur Sadoun.

Publicis also made headlines this summer by announcing its plans to sit out the Cannes Lions and all other awards festivals in 2018. Sadoun later confirmed that his company would be back the following year after Cannes parent company Ascential agreed to certain cost-cutting measures.

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.

13845: The Zenith Of Diversity…?

AgencySpy posted that Publicis Groupe’s Zenith and Moxie hired Jennifer Randolph as SVP of Talent, with duties including diversity and inclusion. Looks like “Chief Diversity Officer” roles are becoming even more devalued, as one body can now cover two companies. Based on peeking at the Zenith clan and Moxie crew, Randolph has quite a challenge ahead of her if reducing exclusivity is the true goal. Fortunately, she spent about four years bringing diversity and inclusion to Saatchi & Saatchi, that bastion of equality where “the fucking debate is all over”—at least in terms of diverted diversity.

Publicis Groupe’s Zenith and Moxie Hire Saatchi Vet Jennifer Randolph as Head of Talent

By Erik Oster

Zenith U.S. and Moxie hired Jennifer Randolph as senior vice president of talent.

Randolph will report jointly to Zenith U.S. and Moxie CEO Sean Reardon and Publicis Media Americas chief talent officer Barb Jobs.

“At the most basic level, Jennifer gives us a leg up in our constant pursuit to improve the quality of experience for all our employees,” Reardon said in a statement. “She is an authority in talent management, diversity & inclusion, and organizational development, and has applied her acumen and expertise as a consultant, author and speaker. To suggest we are pleased to have Jennifer join our team is an understatement — we are thrilled.”

“I’m delighted to join the Zenith organization, and for the chance to work hand-in-hand with the agencies’ incredible leaders and employees on creating the best possible workplace for all,” Randolph added. “Building on Zenith’s industry-leading culture of delivering best-in-class work for its clients, creating an inspiring environment for employees, and fostering Diversity and Inclusion, I look forward to finding ways to enhance the Zenith experience for both current and future Talent.”

Randolph arrives following six years as a private consultant on organizational diversity and inclusion programs, as well as a career coach and author.

She previously served as senior vice president, organizational development and director of diversity for Saatchi & Saatchi.

13784: Judge, Jury & Exclusivity.

Campaign published diverted diversity dopiness from Saatchi & Saatchi Chairwoman and Global Chief Creative Officer Kate Stanners, who blathered on about how integrating White women into juries makes a big difference at award shows. Of course, she didn’t think to apply the same notion to truly diversify matters with racial and ethnic minorities—at award shows and advertising agencies. Bringing equality for White men and White women is more than enough, thank you very much.

Finding our voice on a jury

By Kate Stanners

Issue of judging as a woman and what difference better gender-balanced juries make to the process and decisions.

I first sat on a jury at Cannes 12 years ago. Thinking back on it now, it’s interesting to remember just how intimidating it was. Myself and Susan Cheadle, who I didn’t really know at the time, were the only two women on a jury of 21. I went from having never even been to Cannes, to sitting on a film jury full of huge egos who were a lot more experienced than me, and it was daunting. I found it really difficult to find my voice in that environment and the only way I got through was by mentally preparing everything I was going to say and by throwing myself completely into the fight.

Cut to 2015 when I went back to Cannes and was asked to judge on the exact same jury. By that time, I was the most senior woman in the room but there was still only two or three women on a jury of 22. It was a different experience and I can remember there being a few pieces of work that I really fought for, one of them being the Magnum film, “Be true to your pleasure”, that starred several transgender people. I thought it was incredibly powerful and beautiful.

Another woman on the jury was the chief creative officer of Deutsch New York, and it became clear that she and I both liked the same things. I realised then, although still not in its entirety, that gender was the discerning factor at play. Although, if I’m honest, it wasn’t until this year that it really dawned on me. I judged Titanium and Integrated this year and for the first time the gender lens was finally balanced. We were a jury of 50/50 men and women and due to the very nature of Titanium we watched a lot of creative work that polarized the group.

One defining example was the “Kenzo World” film. The men in the room agreed the piece was an amazing film, but it resonated on a much deeper level and in an utterly different way with the women. It said to us — you can be kooky, you don’t just have to be beautiful, you can also be a bit mental and mad. I’ve always been told by clients that women don’t like to look stupid in films but actually it turns out, woman can be shown to be fun and also silly and still be aspirational.

Not surprisingly, “Fearless Girl” was unanimous but again the women felt something about what it actually did and meant. On a professional basis we could all applaud how it had impacted the world, but the emotive nature of the idea that it was this little strong girl, spoke to us more profoundly.

In the end, we all laughed about the women on the jury being the loudest voices in the room. The process for me was defining because the room told us that it was ok to be a women and to say “I like this because it talks to me” when previously, I hadn’t validated it as being a good enough reason to. It was truly liberating to be in that environment. All the jurors came from different cultural backgrounds, different jobs, each one representing different experiences and rung on the career ladder. It was a melting pot and layered upon all that, it was still ok to play a gender card where previously it hadn’t. Well done to Cannes for in the majority getting 40%-50% juries.

The truth is men and women do see things differently — and that’s only a good thing. However, what it does mean is that women haven’t been able to express ourselves fully as an industry because juries haven’t been well enough represented, and add to this the unconscious bias that the work is selected on, you quickly start to see the problem. Historically male juries have selected and awarded work through a male bias. The work we’ve traditionally put out there, put as our best in class, has unwittingly had a gender bias. It has had a gender lens filter on it.

I’ve realised it’s about bringing what is truly unique to the table and part of that is your gender, as well as your age, where you live and how you’ve been brought up — it’s the total sum of you. As men or women we bring logic, rationale and reason as well as emotion, intuition and feeling. This is what our business is about. Most of us have got to where we are by marrying those together — it’s science and art. The balance is about addressing an unbalance.

Kate Stanners is the chairwoman and global chief creative officer of Saatchi & Saatchi

13726: Taking Shots At 64 Shots.

64 Shots: Leadership in a Crazy World by former Saatchi & Saatchi Chairman Kevin Roberts could be retitled 64 Shits, as the author essentially shat out turds of wisdom on leadership.

Unfortunately, the book offers nothing fresh or original. Roberts simply regurgitates the perspectives of business experts like Peter Drucker and Tom Peters, repackaging the insights with his own alliterations and acronyms. Plus, he makes lots of tired sports analogies, embracing his personal obsession with Rugby. To complete the dearth of newness, Roberts closes by revisiting his Lovemarks concept.

Roberts’ resignation from Saatchi & Saatchi was ignited by commentary deemed sexist, and the book certainly doesn’t help his cause with its lack of lady lauding. The truth is, however, that White women thrive at the White advertising agency Roberts once led, making his claim—“the fucking debate is all over”—somewhat accurate. Hell, White women seem to be doing swell at the White enterprise that recently hired Roberts too.

On a related tip and flipside, Roberts’ book makes ample references to Black icons including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Muhammad Ali, Nelson Mandela and Colin Powell. Roberts marveled, “How many organizations start each day with the rolling thunder of inspiration? Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. did not say ‘I have a mission statement.’ He didn’t talk about rules or tactics. He talked about a moral imperative, about the Promised Land. He had a dream.” Yes, and idiots like Roberts slept on the dream, failing to embrace progressive change, marginalizing minorities and perpetuating exclusivity in a crazy advertising industry that desperately needs leadership with vision. Despite his patronizing faux reverence for equality fighters, Roberts is an Old White Guy, culturally-clueless hypocrite and discriminatory douchebag. On that point, the fucking debate is all over.

13555: Give A Hand For Diversity.

A Canadian Saatchi & Saatchi campaign advocating for Gender + Sexual Diversity only features White hands. Perfect.

13518: Asinine Assassination.

This Mazda advertisement from Saatchi & Saatchi in Israel should have been shot down in the concept stage.

13495: Roberts Rises.

The Drum reported former Saatchi & Saatchi Chairman Kevin Roberts has risen like a phoenix from the asses to land the role of Beattie Communications Chairman. Based on peeking at the Beattie leadership, the fucking debate is all over in regards to gender equality. But for racial and ethnic diversity, the fucking debate rages on. Oh, and it looks like Saatchi & Saatchi has not yet offered Roberts’ old job to Cindy Gallop. Imagine that.

Kevin Roberts resurfaces as Beattie Comms chairman after Publicis exit

By Jennifer Faull

Former Saatchi & Saatchi chairman Kevin Roberts has been named the chairman of Beattie Communications following a very public exit from Publicis last year in wake of his controversial comments on diversity in the advertising industry.

Roberts, who was at the time head coach of the Publicis Groupe, claimed in an interview with Business Insider last August that the gender debate was “done” and that women didn’t really want leadership roles. He also called out one of the strongest voices in the industry, Cindy Gallop, for making things up “to get applause”.

Days later he resigned from Publicis, ending a 20 year career with the advertising group.

He has since distanced himself from this view, saying in an interview with New Zealand broadcaster TVNZ in December that “I was tired, fatigued in the middle of interview number four and was not at my best.”

“What I meant was we should stop debating it and stop talking about numbers and start doing something about it,” he explained.

Moving on

Roberts will now coach the senior team and help grow Beattie and its Only brands internationally, having recently announced it is expanding into Canada and opening offices in Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary.

Laurna Woods, chief executive of the Beattie Group, said: “We are delighted to have recruited one of the world’s most inspirational business minds to help us expand in the UK, North America and Australasia.”

Roberts said: “Beattie is a creative communications consultancy with enormous potential to grow internationally. We are an integrated marketing and communications company with foundations in PR, marketing, creativity, content, technology and data. We have no plans to become a traditional advertising agency.”

In a press release announcing the appointment, Beattie highlighted that seven of the company’s ten person leadership team are women.

Roberts said the company’s 2017 strategy is “clear” and that despite its growth ambitions has “no plans” to become a traditional outfit.

“We are an integrated marketing and communications company with foundations in PR, marketing, creativity, content, technology and data. We have no plans to become a traditional advertising agency,” he said.