16895: Publishers Who Live In Glass Houses…

 

Adweek ran a report titled, “Branding’s Year of Fear: A Look Back at Six Blatant Backlashes from 2024,” spotlighting brands that experienced blowback for a variety of reasons. The six instances included the following:

 

Diversity takes a hit

 

After years of embracing diversity (at least on paper), a phalanx of household-name brands including Ford, John Deere, Target and Lowe’s decided to abandon it in 2024, dismissing some of the very ideals they’d trumpeted until recently. After the 2020 murder of George Floyd prompted much c-suite soul searching and resulted in written pledges to increase diversity and equity inclusion, the social pendulum seems to have swung back in a case of fear caused by fear.

 

Social conservatives spooked and angered by corporate wokeness coalesced around activist Robbie Starbuck, whose accusatory tweets and boycott threats then spooked and angered the corporations. A recent Public Private Strategies Institute survey showed that 82% of business leaders still believe in DEI, but 2024’s counterstrike means they’ll probably be quieter about it.

 

Okay, but it should be noted Adweek abandoned its dedication to DEIBA+ content in early 2023.

16892: Ford At End Of The World—And The End Of Cultural Commitment.

 

This Ford campaign from BBA in Ecuador declares the F-150 truck is built to withstand the end of the world.

Another sign of an impending apocalypse: Ford caved into political pressure and abandoned its DEIBA+ dedication—no doubt making a speedy getaway in an F-150 truck.

 

16868: Overreaction Of The Week.

 

Major brands are hyping Black Friday sales—despite abandoning Blacks via discounting DEIBA+ dedication. It’s holiday hypocrisy hijinks.

 

 

16302: 50 Years Of Hip-Hop, Infinite Years Of Hijacking Culture For Branding.

 

Sprite celebrating 50 years of hip-hop sorta makes sense. But Ford too?

 

Then again, it just underscores how White advertising agencies and brands love hip-hop.

 

 

15367: Brazilian Creatives Don’t Know When To Stop…

Given all the attention over sexual harassment in the advertising industry, perhaps somebody should have hit the brakes on this Ford campaign from Brazil.

 

15321: BHM 2021—Ford Motor Company.

 

Ford Motor Company is hauling a full load of BHM events and activities.

15283: Ford Drives For Unity With Promotional & Political Propaganda.

 

Advertising Age reported Ford produced and proceeded to air commercials calling for nationwide unity following the recent Capitol insurrection. It’s a good thing that Twitter permanently suspended President Donald Trump’s account—preventing him from tweeting his furious disapproval—as Trump would likely view the Ford spots as damnable disloyalty after he publicly praised the automaker in 2020. Double coincidence: Ford’s campaign features voiceover work from actor Bryan Cranston, who has publicly criticized Trump as being insane. And of course Ford will show support for unity per President Joe Biden’s call to action—as Biden partnered with President Barack Obama to deliver a financial bailout when the automaker struggled in 2009.

 

Ford To Run Ads Stressing Unity Following Capitol Riot

 

The spots, called ‘Builders,’ will debut Saturday during college basketball on Fox

 

By Michael Martinez

 

Ford Motor Co. today will begin running new 30- and 60-second ads that stress unity following riots this month at the U.S. Capitol that left 5 dead.

 

Called “Builders,” the spots focus on the ability of Americans to come together and create, featuring images of construction workers, nurses, firefighters and other volunteers.

 

“Look to the builders,” actor and pitchman Bryan Cranston says in the commercials. “No matter what goes wrong in this country, they’re out there. Follow their lead. The ones serving and building others up…Look to the people who don’t give up on their principles when times get tough.”

 

No mention of riots

The ads do not make direct mention of the Jan. 6 riots, in which supporters of President Donald Trump broke into the Capitol building attempting to stop Congress from certifying the results of the Nov. 3 election. But they were produced less than a week after the attack by New York ad firm Wieden+Kennedy using scenes from previous Ford commercials.

 

“In tough times, Ford and our country have always come together and built things — vehicles, tanks, even relationships,” Kumar Galhotra, president, Americas & International Markets Group, said in a statement. “This spot shows from our perspective where our nation should focus — on the fixers, the builders, the ones who can bring us together.”

 

The ads debut today during college basketball on Fox. They will also begin airing on more than a dozen cable stations the same day. Ads will also run during coverage of Joe Biden’s inauguration, a Ford spokesman confirmed to Ad Age.

 

The spot is the latest in Ford’s “Built for America” series of commercials that began running last year. Among other topics, they highlight Ford’s U.S. manufacturing commitment as well as its effort to build personal protective equipment amid the coronavirus pandemic.

 

Michael Martinez is a reporter for Automotive News.

15265: Pursuing The Next Chapter Of Professional Lie.

Advertising Age reported Mark LaNeve is leaving his VP of U.S. Marketing, Sales and Service role with Ford effective immediately in pursuit of the “next chapter of his professional life.” So, that means—along with President Donald Trump—two of the biggest liars ever will be looking for new jobs this month. All the best.

 

Ford Sales And Marketing Boss Mark LaNeve Leaving Company

 

Mark LaNeve is leaving to pursue the ‘next chapter of his professional life’ after a nearly six-year tenure

 

By Michael Martinez

 

Ford Motor Co. said Monday that Mark LaNeve, VP of U.S. marketing, sales and service since 2015, is leaving the company effective immediately to pursue the “next chapter of his professional life.”

 

He will be replaced by Andrew Frick, who becomes VP, sales, U.S. and Canada, effective Monday. Frick, a 25-year company veteran, previously was manager of marketing, sales and service for the Lincoln brand. He also held marketing and sales director roles for Ford Motor.

 

“I had six great years at Ford, and it was a privilege to serve the company and our dealers,” LaNeve told Automotive News in a statement. “After the amazing job the Ford team and dealers did during the pandemic, it felt like the right time to move on to new challenges.”

 

Ford said Frick, 47, will oversee sales, customer care and dealer relations for the Ford brand in both Canada and the U.S. He will report to Kumar Galhotra, president, Ford Americas and International Markets Group. Ford in November named former eBay North American chief marketing officer Suzy Deering as its global CMO.

 

“Andrew brings deep product knowledge, a passion for customers, excellent dealer relations and a proven track record of results to the critical role of leading the sales organization in our largest market,” Galhotra said in a statement.

 

“His leadership will be critical as Ford continues to turn around its automotive operations, especially with exciting new products and ever-improving quality, modernizing all aspects of the company and disrupting our conventional automotive businesses to better serve customers.”

 

Ford and GM roles

 

LaNeve, 61, is one of the few auto industry executives to hold high-level executive positions at both Ford and Detroit rival General Motors. He leaves Ford after a nearly six-year tenure where he forged a close bond with many of Ford’s retailers.

 

Prior to his role at Ford, he was chief operating officer of the company’s marketing and ad agency, WPP-owned GTB. He previously was CEO of Volvo Cars of North America, general manager of Cadillac and VP of sales, service and marketing at GM. LaNeve also was CMO at Allstate Corp. from 2009 to 2012, where he helped create the insurer’s “Mayhem” ad campaign.

 

“Mark LaNeve has been a tireless advocate for customers and dealers and helped lead Ford over the last six years to improved dealer relations and record sales of F-Series pickups while improving the retail experience,” Galhotra said. “In this extraordinary year, Mark and his team did a great job of safeguarding dealers and customers as well as increasing market share. He leaves a strong foundation from which to build on and take the Ford brand to new levels for customers and dealers.”

 

Michael Martinez is a reporter for Automotive News.

15139: Knight’s Out—Ford’s Visual Metaphor Misses The Mark.

 

This Ecuadorian advertisement for Ford Armored displays flimsy thinking—after all, why depict a figure who would be most comfortable riding a horse?

14343: Climate Control Not Cool.

Reports indicate WPP lost the Ford account because the creative sucked. This Ford campaign from JWT in Chile—part of the WPP network—confirms matters. Is the porno shop image a salute to Sir Martin Sorrell?

14325: Ford Reinvents Exclusivity.

Adweek reported Ford created a “new agency model” by handing its creative business to fresh White advertising agencies—BBDO and Wieden + Kennedy—and even leaving a few marketing morsels with GTB, the WPP enterprise originally erected to exclusively service the automaker. Wonder if the monumental loss for WPP will be blamed on CEO Mark Read or Sir Martin Sorrell. Of course, neither one will be as adversely affected by the move as soon-to-be-fired GTB and WPP employees. Double of course, the Adweek report made zero mentions of minority advertising agencies. Did Mark LaNeve participate in the pitch? In short, the losing White advertising agency still benefited more from the reassignment than any non-White advertising agency. All of which makes Ford’s “new agency model” extremely similar to the old agency model—and as outdated as the Ford Model T.

Ford Introduces New Agency Model, Names BBDO as Creative Lead After 75 Years With WPP

W+K also selected as an innovation partner

By Erik Oster, Patrick Coffee

Ford has selected BBDO as its new lead creative agency, concluding a global review launched in April. The move marks a major defeat for WPP, which has been Ford’s lead advertising partner for more than seven decades and counts the automaker as its largest global client.

BBDO begins transitioning to the new role on Nov. 1, working closely with the rest of Ford’s agency roster and its internal marketing team. Omnicom-owned digital experience agency Organic and TLGG Consulting will be part of the team handling the business.

The automotive giant also selected Wieden+Kennedy as an innovation partner for selected projects and introduced a new agency model. The independent agency will manage the account out of its New York office.

WPP’s dedicated network GTB will remain part of Ford’s team, leading activation, media buying and planning around the world in addition to shopper and performance marketing, website development, customer relationship marketing, multicultural and Tier 2 dealer advertising.

London-based consultancy Flock Associates managed the review.

“Ford already is one of the most recognized and respected brands in the world,” Ford group vice president, chief marketing officer Joy Falotico said in a statement. “In this pivotal moment of reinvention and transformation, we’re excited to partner with world-class creative agencies to unlock the full potential of the iconic Blue Oval.”

“Today is a big, big day. We have a wonderful new brand to help build. I could not be more proud of the hundreds of people around the world who made this happen, or more grateful to Ford for their confidence in us,” added BBDO Worldwide president and CEO Andrew Robertson.

Neal Arthur, managing director of W+K New York, said, “Working together to help build the future of the Ford Motor Company is as big, as interesting and as exciting as it gets. They have the people, the brand and the vision to lead the industry and we’re humbled to be able to play a role at this moment in their history.”

As part of its new agency model, Ford is also investing in over 100 new in-house marketing positions across areas including brand design, digital labs and media tools and partnerships. According to a statement, the new marketing approach is expected to save $150 million in efficiencies for Ford annually. The new strategy also includes an increased focus on emerging advertising tools and technology to create more personalized brand marketing.

A spokesperson for GTB referred to WPP.

“As you all know, we gave this review everything we had: it was an extraordinary effort by the entire global team over many, many months,” wrote GTB CEO Satish Korde in an internal memo sent to employees this afternoon and acquired by Adweek. “We accept this difficult decision with our heads held high and thank everyone for their contributions.”

He continued, “GTB has been Ford’s trusted partner for decades, having stood with it in both good times and crisis. We have conducted ourselves with loyalty, pride, honor and above all, outstanding work. We are by no means done as we continue to deliver on multiple fronts.”

In another all-staff memo published by Adweek’s AgencySpy last month, Korde disputed an earlier Forbes story asserting that the client had raised concerns regarding agency culture.

WPP also released an official statement.

“Over the past five months, WPP has been working with Ford Motor Company on its future marketing and advertising relationships,” it read. “At the conclusion of the review, WPP will be responsible for activating the Ford brand through key channels and regions, through its global Ford agency GTB as well as other WPP agencies, while Ford has appointed another agency as its lead creative agency.”

The note went on to summarize the scope of work retained by the holding group, which includes public relations, all Lincoln advertising and all marketing in China in addition to the list atop this story, before concluding, “WPP will work closely with Ford on the shape of its future relationship and the impact on its people.”

Ford spent more than $1.2 billion on measured marketing in the U.S last year, according to Kantar Media, and R3 estimates its global spend at approximately $3 billion.

Ford is planning to launch a new U.S. campaign promoting an unspecified series of Ford vehicles later this month. The news also comes as the company plans to launch a variety of new products in the U.S. and globally that will reshape its lineup.

14280: Ford Fiasco.

In April, shortly after WPP Founder Sir Martin Sorrell resigned from his overpaid position, Adweek reported longtime client Ford launched a global creative review. To close out August, Advertising Age and Adweek reported Wieden + Kennedy will drive the automaker’s upcoming Fall brand campaign. Looks like Sorrell managed to make a clean getaway from the inevitable car wreck—and he sped off without the services of his disgruntled ex-chauffeur to boot. To recap, Sorrell erected a White advertising agency to exclusively service the Ford account. The build-a-shop tactic has not been overly successful, as evidenced by Enfatico and Cavalry. It underscores how holding companies have ultimately fueled the commoditization of creativity, where sister shops within networks are generic and mediocre clones. And it’s no surprise that a clearly superior creative shop like Wieden + Kennedy—which is independent, incidentally—can beat the typical holding company competitors. The only other sure thing is that minority advertising agencies will not play a major role or receive much press in this scenario—especially if former Team Detroit COO and current Ford VP Mark LaNeve is involved at all.

12382: LOL—Lying LaNeve Leaves.

Advertising Age reported Team Detroit COO Mark LaNeve is returning to the client side as the new head of U.S. sales, marketing and service at Ford. So much for being a team player. Then again, a bailout is to be expected when adding a fucking liar to the fold. Pity the Team Detroit staffers who must now bow to LaNeve as the client. Hell, someone should have put a clause in the man’s contract to prevent such a move, especially given that LaNeve landed the Team Detroit role by directly applying to his Ford friends. Advertising executives, car salespeople and insurance salespeople are consistently listed among the least honest and ethical professions, which totally explains why LaNeve—whose career includes stints with Volvo, General Motors, Allstate, Team Detroit and Ford—is a world-class scoundrel.

LaNeve Lands at Ford as Head of U.S. Marketing, Sales and Service

Team Detroit’s COO Jumps to the Client

By Nick Bunkley

Mark LaNeve, a former top sales executive at General Motors, will take over as Ford Motor Co.’s new head of U.S. sales, marketing and service as of Feb. 1.

Mr. LaNeve left GM in the months after its 2009 bankruptcy and spent nearly three years as a top executive with the insurance giant Allstate Corp. before joining Ford’s advertising agency, Global Team Ford, in August 2012 as chief operating officer. At Allstate, he helped create the well-known “Mayhem” advertising campaign.

Mr. LaNeve, 55, replaces John Felice, who was the company’s U.S. sales chief for only 15 months. Ford said Mr. Felice, 53, “has elected to retire” after a 30-year career at the automaker.

His appointment comes a week after Stephen Odell started as Ford’s global sales, service and marketing chief, swapping jobs with Jim Farley, who now runs Ford of Europe.

“With nearly three decades of proven experience to draw upon,” Mr. Odell said in a statement, “Mark brings the right skills to continue building the Ford brand while creating a stronger retail experience for our customers, making it even easier for them to interact with their dealer and with Ford—and helping us profitably grow.”

Mr. Felice’s departure follows a year in which Ford’s U.S. market share dropped a full point to 14.9%, the lowest level since 2008. Ford sales fell 0.6% in 2014—a drop it blamed largely on the changeover to the newest version of its F-150 pickup—vs. a 7% gain for the rest of the industry.

Ford said Mr. LaNeve will oversee all marketing, sales, service and dealer relations in the U.S., focusing on “innovative new digital communications and transforming the retail experience for customers.”

Mr. LaNeve will report jointly to Mr. Odell and Joe Hinrichs, Ford’s president of the Americas.

Earlier in his career, Mr. LaNeve was CEO of Volvo Cars of North America from 1999 to 2001, when Ford owned it. He was chief marketing officer there from 1997 to 1999.

GM’s sales and market share declined significantly during Mr. LaNeve’s five-year tenure as its North American sales and marketing chief, though that slide began long before his arrival. He worked closely with sales analyst Paul Ballew, whom Ford hired in December as its chief data and analytics officer.

Mr. Felice joined Ford in April 1984. Among his previous roles at the company were head of Ford and Lincoln sales, head of Ford and Lincoln marketing, and president of Ford Thailand. He was general sales manager of Ford and Lincoln prior to becoming U.S. sales chief.

“John has had a long and successful career as a key leader serving us around the world for more than 30 years,” Hinrichs said in a statement.

“Among his many contributions, John led the Ford brand revitalization in the U.S., resulting in an unprecedented improvement in customer favorability, and was a strong advocate for our dealers, ensuring their participation in our business planning process and further strengthening our relationship with them. We thank John for his many years of service and wish him all the best going forward.”

—Nick Bunkley is a reporter for Automotive News

11427: Guess Who’s Coming to Dearborn?

Target Market News reported Uniworld Group is moving its Dearborn, Michigan unit into the same building as Team Detroit. Both agencies have ties to WPP, so the cohabitation idea must be a financially driven scheme. Plus, both agencies service Ford and Lincoln, so the spin features references about shared resources and cultures to better deliver innovative solutions to the clients. Pathological liar and Team Detroit COO Mark LaNeve gushed, “We are delighted to have our UniWorld partners co-locate with Team Detroit. This collaborative environment is a win-win not only for our client, but for both agencies, allowing us to strategically coalesce to share cultural insight and perspective, all to enhance the Ford and Lincoln brands.” Keep in mind that the last time LaNeve made an official announcement regarding a minority agency, it turned out to be total bullshit. Maybe he’ll record the relocation as a diversity boost for his shop. And exactly what kind of “cultural insight” could Team Detroit share with Uniworld? Team Detroit’s recent downsizing probably means there is plenty of empty office space to fill too. Looks like Mayhem has followed LaNeve to the Motor City.

UniWorld Group Detroit moving to Team Detroit offices to better coordinate Ford account

UniWorld Group, Inc. the longest-standing full-service multicultural advertising and communications agency in the U.S., announced today that it will move its Dearborn office into the Dearborn-based Team Detroit offices. The move, scheduled for early September, positions UniWorld Group for a more seamless integration of multicultural thought and innovation to better serve Ford, an account the agency has serviced for more than 25 years. The relocation comes a little over a year after the appointment of the agency’s new Chairman and CEO, Monique L. Nelson.

“We are extremely excited about the upcoming move into the Team Detroit offices,” said Monique L. Nelson, CEO, UniWorld Group. “With both companies heavily focused on the Ford and Lincoln brands, this co-location will allow us to work more closely with our agency partners on a day-to-day basis while also delivering a seamless solution to servicing our client’s needs.”

UniWorld Group, Ford’s only African American advertising agency of record, has shared a strategic alliance with WPP, the largest communications services group, since 2000. This co-location will include UniWorld maintaining its separate brand identity while simultaneously adopting and sharing various agency best practices.

Team Detroit leads the Ford account at WPP. It was formed by a combination of five Detroit-based agencies in 2006; JWT, Young & Rubicam, Wunderman, Ogilvy & Mather and Mindshare. It currently employs around 1400 people, mostly in Dearborn, with others in 23 regional offices.

“We are delighted to have our UniWorld partners co-locate with Team Detroit,” said Mark LaNeve, COO, Global Team Ford. “This collaborative environment is a win-win not only for our client, but for both agencies, allowing us to strategically coalesce to share cultural insight and perspective, all to enhance the Ford and Lincoln brands.”

“Make no mistake about it—our identity as an agency will remain the same with this co-location,” said Nelson. “UniWorld Group is committed to providing the best service to all of our clients. We are looking forward to not only growing our brand culture, but also embracing the Team Detroit culture to continue to better serve the Ford account as we move forward as agency partners.”

Today, UWG main headquarters are in Brooklyn, New York, with satellite offices in Atlanta, Georgia, and Dearborn, Michigan.

Founded in 1969 by Byron Lewis, UniWorld Group, Inc., is the longest-standing full-service multicultural marketing agency in the United States. The agency continues to be a trendsetter, poised to connect forward-thinking brands to the $2 trillion spending power of multicultural consumers while pushing the envelope with innovative ideas and fresh solutions for the general market as well. WPP, the world’s largest communications services company, is also a minority shareowner in UniWorld Group. For more information on UniWorld Group, Inc., visit www.uniworldgroup.com.

11092: Lying LaNeve Lands Luxury Gig.

Advertising Age reported Team Detroit executive Mark LaNeve has been tapped for a second role as president of WPP sister agency Hudson Rouge. “Mark brings a tremendous amount of equity and understanding of the luxury space,” said a Ford spokesman. “When you look at Mark’s credentials, having redone Cadillac and Volvo, it makes a lot of sense.” Um, the lying bastard helped drive General Motors into bankruptcy. Makes all the sense in the world—the world of Mad Men and used car salesmen.

Mark LaNeve Called Upon to Help Stem Lincoln Sales Slide

Team Detroit Exec Named President of Hudson Rouge, Luxury Auto Brand’s Agency

By Rupal Parekh, Bradford Wernle

Team Detroit exec Mark LaNeve has been called upon to take over as president of the Lincoln brand’s ad agency, Hudson Rouge, according Automotive News. The move comes as the luxury brand is seeing a slide in sales.

The 54-year old Mr. LaNeve replaces former auto consultant Cameron McNaughton, who was named president when New York-based Hudson Rouge launched in December 2011. In a memo to dealers, Matt VanDyke, global director for the Lincoln brand, said Mr. McNaughton will be leaving the agency in May to “pursue other opportunities.”

Mr. LaNeve will be doing his new job from Detroit—visiting Hudson Rouge regularly—and will keep his other title as chief operating officer of Team Detroit, the Ford brand’s advertising agency. Both Team Detroit and Hudson Rouge are owned by WPP.

Prior to landing at WPP last year, Mr. LaNeve was a marketer at Allstate and General Motors. He’ll need to use his experience to help right the ship, as he is assuming control of the agency as the luxury Lincoln brand is going through a difficult rebirth. The 2013 MKZ sedan was heralded as the first car in that rebirth, but its launch has been hobbled by production delays and quality glitches. The brand’s U.S. sales have slipped seven consecutive months in an overall light-vehicle market that continues to expand.

The model for Hudson Rouge, a dedicated agency set up to serve the needs of just a single client, mimics the way that Team Detroit was formed. However, Team Detroit has now evolved to handle some clients outside of the auto sector.

“Mark brings a tremendous amount of equity and understanding of the luxury space,” a Ford spokesman said. “When you look at Mark’s credentials, having redone Cadillac and Volvo, it makes a lot of sense.”

Earlier this year, Lincoln launched a big advertising push for the MKZ that included two 30-second spots on the Super Bowl. That included one ad featuring late night host Jimmy Fallon and another, called “Phoenix,” which took bits and pieces from a long-running 60-second ad, with the addition of an MKZ bursting from an old Lincoln Town Car.

While the spots were intended to help elevate consideration of Lincoln cars, at the time, dealers did not have any cars to sell. Now that more cars are flowing into dealerships, Lincoln is ramping up its advertising again this month. There are now around 4,000 MKZs at dealerships, though there are some geographical areas with more cars than others.

Mr. LaNeve, who is widely regarded as a “dealer guy,” started his marketing career at GM and was credited with reviving the Cadillac brand. After rising to the post of brand manager for the Pontiac Bonneville in 1995, LaNeve left GM in 1997 to become VP-marketing and later CEO of Volvo Cars of North America, then owned by Ford.

In 2001 he returned to GM as general manager of Cadillac. In 2004, he became GM’s North America VP-of sales, service and marketing. A few months after GM declared bankruptcy in 2009, he left to become chief marketing officer for Allstate Corp. in Northbrook, Ill. There he oversaw creation of the insurance company’s “Mayhem” advertising campaign.

11077: JWT & Ford Are Fucking Liars.

Advertising Age reported that—Surprise! Surprise!—the Ford Figo campaign from JWT India had been entered into an awards show. Plus, the show’s entry included a letter of approval from the Ford client. Honestly, did anyone not think JWT was scamming here? Ironically, the JWT website features a callout for the office in India—with a snapshot of its awards case. Brilliant.

JWT Entered Sexually Offensive Ford Ads in India’s Top Awards Show

Office CCO Bobby Pawar, Creative Head of Ford Account Among Those Who Have Exited the Agency

By Laurel Wentz

JWT India entered the now-infamous Ford Figo poster ads in India’s leading Goafest Abby ad awards, and tried to withdraw them last Friday in the middle of the judging after controversy erupted outside India over the sexually offensive ads.

The posters, showing women bound and gagged in the trunk of a Ford Figo hatchback, drew international condemnation when they were uploaded to the website Ads of the World, and both JWT and Ford quickly apologized. Neither mentioned that the ads, including a letter of approval from the client, had been entered at Goafest by a senior JWT India executive.

Goafest official Shashi Sinha told Ad Age in an interview that the WPP owned shop called festival officials on Friday in an effort to remove the Ford Figo ads from the judging and followed up, as required, with a request in writing from the executive who had entered the work. That person was identified to them as Bobby Pawar, the chief creative officer and managing partner of JWT India.

Mr. Pawar, a well-known creative in India, is one of two executives JWT referred to but didn’t name in an earlier statement saying “After a thorough internal review, we have taken appropriate disciplinary action with those involved, which included the exit of employees at JWT.”

Mr. Pawar’s LinkedIn profile states that he has been at JWT since January 2012, but has in the past held roles at the Indian offices of several major global agencies. He was previously chief creative officer of DDB Mudra Group, group creative director at Energy BBDO and senior partner and creative director at Ogilvy & Mather. He started his career at Ogilvy in 1995.

According to multiple executives familiar with the matter, Vijay Simha, whose LinkedIn profile describes him as “VP and senior creative director at Global Team Ford at JWT” was the other person who was fired. His resume includes stops at Grey Worldwide and Saatchi & Saatchi.

Not only has the Ford scandal been a ding to JWT India’s reputation, it’s also now leaving the agency without senior creative and account leadership, since these executives—and possibly others under the Blue Hive group at the shop that runs the carmaker’s business—must now be replaced. JWT India did not respond to a request for comment. Ford yesterday told Ad Age that despite the fake ad scandal, it will keep its relationship with JWT India intact.

Mr. Sinha went on to explain that it was because the festival received JWT’s written request for withdrawal of the work that they were permitted to pull it, since judging was still in the early stages. Mr. Sinha, who oversees Goafest as president of India’s Ad Club and chairperson of the 11-member Awards Governing Council. Mr. Sinha is also CEO of IPG Mediabrands in India.

Because the work was removed in the middle of the judging, it’s unclear whether the Ford Figo ads made the shortlist. The work appeared to be properly entered, with proof that it had run and a client approval letter from Ford’s CMO in India.

Mr. Sinha said the client approval letters for the three poster ads were very general ones, and didn’t include a description of the ads, so Ford might not have been aware of the ads’ content. “We can’t figure out if he had seen the stuff,” Mr. Sinha said. “It’s a gray area.” The print and outdoor categories are the easiest to enter fake work in, because it’s not hard for an agency to run an ad once in an obscure local publication or poster site to obtain a tearsheet or a picture that makes it festival-eligible by fulfilling the letter if not the spirit of the entry rules.

“They’re so hungry for the awards,” Mr. Sinha said of creatives’ propensity for creating fake ads.

So how did these ads get caught in the entry process? The point is that they usually don’t.

Mr. Sinha explained that the Goafest Abby awards get about 5,000 entries “and they all come at the last minute.” So accounting firm KPMG, which manages the judging process, does a more rigorous inspection of the entries that win awards. Mr. Sinha said that “back checking” involves sending the client company’s CMO a jpeg of the prize-winning work to verify its authenticity.

But JWT withdrew the Ford ads before the final judging, he said. In fact, he said, JWT withdrew all the Ford work it had entered, not just the three Ford Figo poster ads. “I said ‘these are offensive ads’,” Mr. Sinha said of the Figo posters. “That’s why they got caught. Otherwise they would have gone through the [awards] system.”

11074: JWT India Fires Offenders.

Advertising Age reported the JWT India staffers responsible for the Ford Figo ads were terminated. Really? Imagine if the same policy applied in the U.S., whereby agency teams would be fired for producing offensive campaigns. Hell, places like Draftfcb would be wiped out.

JWT India Sacks Staffers Responsible for Sexually Offensive Ford Ads

Automaker Has No Plans to Ditch Agency Over the Mess

By Michael McCarthy

The fallout from Ford’s India ad uproar includes an apology from the automaker, the sacking of the ad agency staffers who created the offensive ad and a reassurance from Ford that it will not leave JWT or WPP over the PR crisis.

“The investigation over what happened is ongoing,” Ford spokesman Chris Preuss told Ad Age. “Obviously, appropriate actions will be taken up to and including the dismissal of individuals who were found to be culpable.”

The mess began several days ago when a series of sexually offensive ads created by JWT India showing women bound and gagged in the trunk of Ford Figo hatchback were uploaded to the website Ads of the World.

The ads were not approved by Ford but rather created by staffers at JWT India, which handles advertising for Ford in the country. Such ads, created without client approval, are often called “fake ads” or “scam ads” and are made by creatives seeking attention and looking for ways to bolster their portfolios. But the practice can spell bad news for both clients and agencies and the timing couldn’t be worse for these ads to emerge out of the Indian market.

The controversial posters were uploaded for public view at a time when India is in crisis over sexual assaults on women. The brutal gang rape of a 23-year old student in New Delhi in December drew worldwide attention. The woman died from her injuries several weeks later. India recently approved a more stringent law to punish sex criminals.

One of the ads depicted reality TV star Paris Hilton with what appears to be Kim Kardashian and her two sisters tied up in the trunk of her car. The tagline: “Leave your worries behind with Figo’s extra large boot.”

Another showed Silvio Berlusconi, former Prime Minister of Italy, who was embroiled in a sex scandal of his own. In it, he’s flashing a victory sign while three half-dressed women struggle against their bonds.

The swift dismissal of the JWT India employees responsible for the ads is a sign that the agency is trying to make good on the blunder.

When we asked if Ford will yank the business from JWT or parent company WPP or put its India ad account into review, Mr. Preuss said “no such action” has been contemplated.

He continued: “There’s a deep partnership between WPP and Ford. Obviously, the issue was located in one place. It obviously happened with individuals who were acting outside of any normal oversight we have. This is a very, very serious matter and it’s being handled as such. Right now, the actions are being dealt with at our local agency. Again, everybody is extremely unhappy and regretting this has happened.”

For years, WPP has maintained an exclusive global partnership with Ford. In the U.S. Ford has its own agency under WPP to serve its needs, Team Detroit.

JWT said the “distasteful” posters “were never intended for paid publication and should never have been created, let alone uploaded to the internet.” The disciplinary action, including dismissal of employees, were “necessary steps owing to the direct accountability of the concerned individuals as we work to ensure that both the right oversight and processes are strictly enforced so that this never happens again.”

11067: WPP Caught Scamming…?

Business Insider reported the Ford Figo ads from India allegedly turned out to be a scam campaign. However, there are some odd points to consider. For starters, who authorized the illustrations, which appear to be pretty professional? Plus, check out the official statement from WPP (the ads were created by a JWT shop):

“We deeply regret the publishing of posters that were distasteful and contrary to the standards of professionalism and decency within WPP Group. These were never intended for paid publication and should never have been created, let alone uploaded to the internet. This was the result of individuals acting without proper oversight and appropriate actions have been taken within the agency where they work to deal with the situation.”

So the ads “were never intended for paid publication.” But were they intended for other promotional activities? It’s not like any WWP agency is above producing scam ads for awards or other scheming purposes. Oh, and to imply that the ad network has “standards of professionalism and decency” is ridiculous too. Wonder if the creative culprits were stuffed into a car trunk and eventually dumped out onto a darkened street.