Dentsu Aegis Network Global CEO Wendy Clark repeatedly used Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity to stage her patronizing pontifications on diversity. Yet when Cannes Lions’ diversity dilemmas were displayed, Clark didn’t make a peep. Keep in mind, Clark’s divertsity drivel—including involvement with the Glass Lion and TIME’S UP/Advertising—was delivered before knowingly hiring an accused sexual harasser. So, her deceptive dumbness is doubly disgusting. Ditto her lack of integrity.
Just wanted to comment on Advertising Age reporting Dentsu Aegis Network—new home of the restlessly ambitious Wendy Clark—tapped Christena Pyle to become its first Chief Equity Officer. Chief Integration Officer. Director of Empathy. Chief Equity Officer. When did diversity become a dirty word? The only real diversity in adland involves the variety of dodgy synonyms for diversity.
Christena Pyle Leaves Time’s Up For Dentsu Aegis Network
By Lindsay Rittenhouse
Dentsu Aegis Network has tapped Christena Pyle as its first chief equity officer, Americas. Pyle, executive director of the Time’s Up Foundation, the organization created in the wake of the #MeToo movement, is set to join Dentsu Aegis Network’s executive leadership team on Aug. 31, reporting to Americas CEO Jacki Kelley.
Pyle declined an interview but said in a statement that she is “a true believer in the power of” diversity, equity and inclusion.
“Having a diverse mix of talent who can take on the challenges and opportunities a business faces, now and in the future, is a critical factor in any company’s success and resilience,” Pyle said. “In spending time with the Dentsu team, it’s clear that this is a group of people who place the value of caring—for their people, their communities, their customers and each other—at the forefront of the decisions they make.”
Pyle took over as Time’s Up’s first executive director of advertising in June 2019 with the mandate “to create safe, equitable and harassment-free workplaces for all” across the ad industry. Dentsu Aegis Network says her impact went beyond advertising and marketing, citing the guidelines Pyle created in May for all businesses to follow to protect the diversity of their workforces as they downsize during the pandemic.
No successor has been named at this point.
“We’re thrilled Christena will continue her commitment to transform the advertising industry from within in this new role and look forward to working alongside her for many years to come,” said Tina Tchen, president and CEO of Time’s Up Foundation in a statement.
“Christena will help us create an inclusive, nurturing place for diversity to thrive, as we shape and lead transformational DE&I efforts and align them to our strategy,” said Kelley.
Before Time’s Up, Pyle served as Omnicom Group’s director of diversity and inclusion for five years. While there, she was responsible for accelerating DE&I outcomes across the holding company. She also worked as a director of Adcolor while at Omnicom. Before that, she held stints at agencies including Wieden + Kennedy, Ogilvy and Arnold Worldwide.
Her appointment follows the appointment of Wendy Clark as global CEO of Dentsu Aegis Network. Clark is the former CEO of Omnicom Group’s DDB Worldwide and also has a history with Time’s Up. In October 2018, Clark stepped down from the leadership committee for Time’s Up Advertising after reportedly hiring creative Ted Royer as a freelancer. Royer had previously left his post as Droga5’s chief creative officer amid an internal investigation, whose details have yet to be made public.
Adweek published a perspective by TIME’S UP/Advertising Executive Director Christena J. Pyle titled, “Too Many Women Still Feel Vulnerable Working in Advertising—There’s far too much discrimination happening, even 35 years later.”
Um, somebody provide Pyle with a history lesson to clarify that racial and ethnic minorities have experienced unrelenting discrimination in adland for at least 70 years—and it’s even worse for Black women in the field.
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
Advertising Age published a lengthy story detailing the Ted Royer LIA surprise appearance that AgencySpy sloppily posted about yesterday. According to Ad Age, Royer used the opportunity to openly air his distress and blare his defense over his alleged misconduct—and like a stereotypical creative honcho, he even brought visuals.
Based on AgencySpy’s half-assed post, MultiCultClassics mistakenly believed Royer was making light of his own scandal. After perusing the Ad Age coverage, it turns out the scenario was quite the opposite—and arguably worse. Royer and LIA Founder and President Barbara Levy hijacked the event, allowing the ex-Droga5 CCO to deliver a self-absorbed confession and self-serving apology. Sorry, but attendees were right to be upset. Imagine showing up for the Academy Awards and having Harvey Weinstein commandeer the festivities to seek atonement. Royer’s stunt rivaled and recalled the Neil French debacle in its disruptive rudeness. (Note to Royer: The charges against you dwarf French’s indiscretions and he was not permitted back into the field.)
Royer declared, “My agenda today is going to be about events that happened that got me to leave Droga5, that got me fired, and I want to tell you those because I want to put them in context for the year-and-a-half that followed, and the things I’ve come to know and believe since then that I feel have led to a stronger life.” Okay, but your “agenda” impolitely interrupted the planned proceedings, which should have focused on expert inspiration. Levy does owe the attendees a refund. It ain’t right to pay to watch Jay-Z and discover the headline act has switched to R. Kelly without notice.
Levy was equally awful in her motivations. “We live in a country that has due process and laws that allow an accused the right to face their accuser,” she babbled. “I do not believe that an anonymous social media platform that does not allow the accused to respond should be allowed to indict, try and convict anyone.” Okay, but let the due process and laws proceed. If Royer was wronged, he certainly has legal options besides taking his case to the court of public opinion—especially when the audience expected to meet professionals. Plus, keep in mind that Droga5 is not exactly admitting it erred by canning Royer.
Communication, understanding and empathy comprise Royer’s new acronym mantra—CUE—and he reportedly closed with extended apologies. The man needs to learn the difference between apologies and amends. Right now, Royer appears to be truly sorry—meaning pathetic versus empathetic. Cue the music to cut off the blubbering awards speaker.
Former Droga5 CCO Ted Royer Addresses Sexual Misconduct Allegations In Public For The First Time
A year and a half after he was fired from his post, the disgraced industry vet resurfaces in public eye to share his side of the story and express remorse
By Ann-Christine Diaz
More than a year-and-a-half after he was fired from Droga5 following allegations posted by anonymous Instagram account Diet Madison Avenue, former New York Chief Creative Officer Ted Royer reemerged in the public eye yesterday.
Royer spoke in Las Vegas at the London International Awards’ Creative Liaisons, the award show’s program dedicated to nurturing rising advertising talents.
“I’m here because I believe in face-to-face communication and I don’t want to hide any more,” he told a conference room full of the program’s young global creatives, as well as a number of the top industry execs serving as LIA jurors, some who paused their all-day judging sessions to hear him speak.
From 2012 until his widely-publicized split from Droga5, he had been a regular speaker at Creative Liaisons. His previous presentations had centered on advice for promising talents as they progress in their careers. In this hour-plus long session, he continued to share advice, but also took the opportunity to open up about his own experiences during and after the DMA allegations that appeared on social media.
“My agenda today is going to be about events that happened that got me to leave Droga5, that got me fired, and I want to tell you those because I want to put them in context for the year-and-a-half that followed, and the things I’ve come to know and believe since then that I feel have led to a stronger life,” Royer said.
Prior to this, none of the creatives who had been accused of misconduct in DMA social posts have spoken publicly at length about their experiences—though at least in one instance, former Martin Agency CCO Joe Alexander, did issue a statement saying that DMA's actions that took away his “good name” without giving him a chance to defend himself, as part of a lawsuit he filed last month against the individuals behind the anonymous account.
“We live in a country that has due process and laws that allow an accused the right to face their accuser,” said LIA Founder and President Barbara Levy on why she invited Royer to return to speak. “I do not believe that an anonymous social media platform that does not allow the accused to respond should be allowed to indict, try and convict anyone.”
DMA Allegations
Royer, noticeably uneasy at times, thanked the audience. “I really want to acknowledge the Liaisons, the young creatives who don’t know me but may know me by my reputation, both good and recently horrible,” he said. “I thank you very much and I want to acknowledge you for listening and giving me a chance today.”
He then spent the opening portion of his speech addressing the posts and statements DMA had made prior to his departure from Droga5. Slide by slide, he went through the various allegations, including one post that placed his name at the top of a list of other alleged harassers in the industry.
“That was the worst day of my life by far,” he said. He had been in L.A. on a shoot, accompanied by his family, when he first saw the post. “It was early 2018 and I think all of you remember the atmosphere, we were waiting to oust sexual harassers everywhere and I find myself at the top. It was a brutal day.”
Another series of Diet Madison Avenue posts centered on how nondisclosure agreements help to silence women and protect powerful men in the ad industry.
“I read this on the way to work,” he said. “And I had two reactions. One was, ‘This is absolutely not true.’ I have never been involved in an NDA with a woman. I have never been involved in a discussion about any woman’s career relating to anything personal about me ever....I was actually happy when I saw that. I was like, ‘Oh, this is demonstrably false.’ But when I got to work, I could see the impact it had on people’s faces.”
He said the agency soon placed him on leave and hired a law firm to investigate him. “I don’t know if you know what happens when these law firms investigate you,” he said. “They go through every single communication about you they can find—emails to you and from you, G-chats to you and from you and about you.”
Royer then went on to reveal some of the behaviors the investigation uncovered, details that had never been included in previous reports around his firing. “I was flippant, I made jokes, I was flirty, I encouraged drinking and drug use,” he said. “And I believed the old creative douche bag rock star notion that you have to party really hard and do great work to be someone of notice in this industry. I certainly behaved selfishly and immaturely.”
Royer presented a final DMA slide, arguably the most damning, in which a person claiming to be one of his subordinates detailed a purported non-consensual encounter.
“This is a story, reportedly about me attacking a girl in the hallway of the agency, tagging my clients,” he said, at this point visibly emotional. “They made it very, very hard to defend myself ... I’ve talked to hundreds of people afterwards and a lot of people remembered this story and believed this story … This story is not true. If it is true, it’s not about me at all. At all. I never did act like this. But this stuck. This stuck to me like glue.”
Royer said afterwards, more calls to investigate him and for employees to come forward went out. “I think a couple people did, I don’t know how many, and I was fired,” he said. “I don’t know what they said. I was not told anything. I was never given any chance to address those concerns. And I was pretty devastated.”
News reports around the investigation, and then his subsequent firing, never revealed why Royer was terminated. The agency only issued a single statement: “We are committed to maintaining a safe and inclusive environment for all our employees.”
Post-Droga5
For the rest of his talk, Royer revealed what he’s been doing since he left Droga5.
He said he spent the past year and a half having conversations with “hundreds” of people, men and women, about their relationships with him as well as their own experiences related to harassment. “It was incredibly eye-opening,” he said. “The MeToo movement is long and overdue. It’s vital and necessary, and the women I know, including my wife [Suyin Sleeman, also an advertising creative] have had an awful time in this industry. The most common thing [I heard] was the 1,000 little cuts women feel every single day, things that remind them of their gender and their otherness.”
He also said he spent the time doing freelance work and focusing on “giving back,” including creating communications for an organization called the Freedom to Choose Project, which creates programs to help better the lives of incarcerated and underserved individuals.
“I went into women’s prisons and spoke to them and the stories there are all startling similar,” he said. “One woman said she was passed around by her family members, which then leads to drugs and alcohol abuse, which then leads to falling into a bad crowd, often with an abusive man, which leads to a crime that gets them in jail.” The program, however, isn’t about just talking to the incarcerated, but talking “with them,” he says. “We do workshops where we are all equals and we learn just as much from them. One prisoner re-framed my relationship with my father in 20 minutes, and it blew me away.”
Royer said he’s been pursuing agency work as well. He described being up for a freelance gig at a small shop, but later found out that one woman there said, “We are not letting that monster in the building.”
“I reached out to her,” he said. “I met her for coffee and we talked for two hours. And I’m proud to say she’s a friend now. We text almost every day, we have raging debates on feminism and toxic masculinity and all that, but it is one of the best friendships I’ve had recently. It really solidified for me the power of face-to-face communication.”
In October of last year, reports came out that Royer had been quietly hired at DDB to work as a freelancer, which created a backlash against CEO Wendy Clark, who would ultimately step down as one of the leaders of the Time’s Up Advertising initiative.
“If you’re the young woman working at DDB and I walk in the door, of course you’re going to freak out,” he said. “Of course you’re going to freak out, and I understand that.”
The conversations and various projects he has had in the intervening year taught him the importance of three key things: “communication, understanding and empathy,” he says. “Three things I repeat to myself all the time now. Being an ad guy, of course, I noticed they form an anagram CUE.” Now, when something “shitty” happens, he says, “I go, that’s my CUE.’ I’m going to address the situation but approach it with communication, understanding and empathy. I think as a leader, it’s quite powerful. I wouldn’t necessarily do it before, but I absolutely do now.”
On DMA
When Ad Age asked Royer during the Q&A session if he believed anything good came out of what DMA did, he said, “The good that came out of it was we’re certainly far more aware of [harassment] as an industry, and that’s fantastic. It certainly started a lot of companies looking at what they’ve done, are doing, and that’s fantastic too. And I think the impetus behind Time’s Up Advertising came because of Diet Madison Avenue.”
The empathy he said he practices even extends to DMA. “I don’t think they’re horrible people,” he said. “I think everyone’s just trying to do the best they can with what they have. And I bet if I ever met someone from Diet Madison Avenue, they’re probably in a lot of pain. Anger comes from pain. I think their anger came from frustration and impotence, and so that’s made a lot of people very aware that there are people out there who don’t feel like they had a voice.” He added, “I would meet Diet Madison Avenue face-to-face and talk to them and hear their pain and hear where their anger came from.”
Apologies
“I don’t know anybody who’s accused me, but I want to,” Royer said. Numerous times throughout his presentation he encouraged the audience, or anyone who feels they've been wronged by him to reach out to him via email at TedRoyer50@gmail.com, and possibly, have a face-to-face conversation.
“If I’ve wronged somebody, I want to focus on them and right it,” he said. “Louis CK wronged people, and he hasn’t addressed it. I used to be a huge fan of his, but he hasn’t said a word, except about how much money he’s lost. That’s not addressing it. I think if you apply communication, understanding and empathy to people who’ve been through this, we can all learn a lot more.”
“I apologize to my wife, who’s stronger than I ever imagined,” he said. “I don’t like the way Droga5 handled me, but I love that company, and I loved it with all my heart and I apologize if I brought them any shame and hurt. And I apologize to the industry that I love. I’m one of your main villains right now, and that hurts so much because I love this industry, and I want to help this industry. I’m not here for absolution. I’m not here to say everything’s fine now, but I want this to be a beginning.”
Reactions
Attendees at the Liaisons had mixed reactions to Royer’s speech, and some were extremely strong. A number of female participants, visibly nervous, questioned Royer during the Q&A session, one asking his motivations for presenting at that time.
“It’s the first thing I’ve been invited to,” he said. “I wanted to talk to people I didn’t know. 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.”
Edelman Global CCO Judy John, one of the LIA jury presidents, said she wanted to take Royer up on his request for face-to-face conversations. “I want to push you on the ‘E’ in empathy because I think you need to understand that in the position of power that you have, what you do, what you say, has more [impact] than everyone else,” she said. “I think there is a lack of awareness about a little comment, like what you’re wearing, that is uncomfortable.”
One Liaisons member was upset by Royer’s responses to the DMA posts. “So you’re talking about empathy, but you’re also being upset that there were women saying this anonymously. The reason they’re saying this anonymously is because they’re afraid, and they’re losing their jobs,” she said.
LIA attendees who spoke to Ad Age and who commented on the workplace app Fishbowl expressed consternation and even anger at not being properly informed that Royer would be presenting. Their program had only listed “Guest Speaker” for the portion of his talk, and his name appeared on the online schedule only during the week of the event.
“It made no sense for him to be here, to inspire young creatives,” said one Liaison member. “I think it was really a big misstep for the program. I’m upset with the program for tricking us into listening to his speech. I’m more interested in LIAs being taken to task than [Royer] being taken to task.”
Another Liaisons participant was so agitated she had to leave the room during the presentation.
LIA founder Levy later stepped up to the podium to address the reactions.
“I didn’t want to make anybody uncomfortable. That was not the intention here at all,” Levy said before sharing with the audience her own experience of being sexually assaulted in 1983. “I know for some of you it was a tough thing to sit and listen to. It was not meant to be. What the intention was that anonymous social media should not be held as truth.”
Upon hearing about the LIA participant who left the room because of his talk, Royer grew upset. “I’m mortified,” he said. “I didn’t see it coming at all. I would love to make it up to that person any way I can. If there’s anything I can do, I will do it.”
Advertising Age appears to be providing harassment gender equality, balancing the Joe Alexander report with a seemingly unabridged and unfiltered Erin Johnson interview. The piece is titled, “Erin Johnson on Sexual Harassment, J. Walter Thompson and Finding Out Who Her Friends Are.” Okay, the illustrator responsible for the interview image (depicted above) is definitely not a friend, as the rendering ain’t very flattering. One surprising revelation is that TIME’S UP/Advertising has never contacted Johnson. Perfect. What’s next for Ad Age—an insert spotlighting Gustavo Martinez?
Erin Johnson on Sexual Harassment, J. Walter Thompson and Finding Out Who Her Friends Are
In the aftermath of her suit against WPP, exec speaks out
By I-Hsien Sherwood
Eight months before the #MeToo movement began to play out in Hollywood, the global chief communications officer at J. Walter Thompson filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against the agency and its global CEO. Erin Johnson alleged inappropriate physical contact and racist, sexist and anti-Semitic comments—including jokes about raping female staffers—from Gustavo Martinez.
For the next two years, the suit dragged through the courts. WPP and its then-CEO Martin Sorrell were accused of digging in their heels when most agencies at the time opted to handle such matters quietly. As subsequent harassment scandals erupted at shops including The Martin Agency and Droga5, Johnson was put in a position uncharacteristic of a PR professional—constantly named in headlines, but unable to speak publicly during pending litigation.
Three-and-a-half years after filing her suit and nearly 18 months after reaching an undisclosed settlement with WPP, Johnson is dealing with a very different industry landscape. Sorrell has been ousted from the holding company he founded and now runs S4 Capital. WPP finally parted ways with Martinez two months following the settlement, after some reshuffling to quietly put him in charge of operations in Spain.
As for JWT, once the oldest advertising agency in the world, it’s gone, folded into Wunderman Thompson late in 2018.
Johnson left the industry, too, for a time, spending less than a year as chief communications officer at tech start-up Gifnote, for whom she remains an advisor. She spoke with Ad Age about the personal costs of bringing a harassment lawsuit, the #MeToo movement and what’s next for her. Our conversation has been edited and condensed.
J. Walter Thompson is gone, merging with Wunderman last year. How does that make you feel?
Very sad. Depressed. A little angry. It was such a great brand. I remember we had worked so hard to celebrate the future at the 150th anniversary [in 2014], and I was part of that. I loved the brand. I still love the brand. I’m sad that it’s not there anymore; it’s devastating to me.
For people who haven’t experienced harassment at work, what is it like to be in that kind of environment?
Sadly, I think a lot of people know how it feels because they deal with it every day. I think every woman has stories like mine. It’s like a death of a thousand cuts. And over the course of my career, I’ve experienced all sorts of things—inappropriate comments, inappropriate touching. Women especially have been taught or been told that it’s just the way it is.
How did you come to the decision that your only recourse was to file a lawsuit?
Everybody has a line. And when that line is crossed, it’s kind of like you can’t live with yourself unless you do something about it. This situation in particular with Gustavo began to cross the line of my ability to look myself in the mirror and accept it.
It’s really scary. I know I believe in myself. I know that I’m standing up for myself, but I also know the power of a billion-dollar company. You question and question and question yourself. I remember sitting up at night with my husband, at like 3 in the morning, debating what to do, because at a certain point I knew I had to file or not do anything. I kept saying “This is going to uproot our lives. This is not going to be quick. We could lose the house, we could lose everything [because of legal fees].” And I was terrified about what could happen to me. You go to really dark places. How would I afford mortgage bills? How would I pay for the kids? How would I continue to live? Who would hire me again? Would I be blacklisted forever? And my husband just said, “Babe, nobody treats you like this. We’ll sell the house. It’s just a house. We’ll get an apartment. It’s just about us and the kids.” He said, “You work too hard, and this is not O.K. I got you.” And he took away all my fear that night, because I was so afraid.
In hindsight, there’s a consensus that the holding company handled your case poorly. How should a company respond to allegations like yours?
Handle it immediately. Believe them. Believe them and support them.
The legal filings detail your work conditions during the lawsuit. But what were the effects on other parts of your life?
I have a way of making jokes about it to offset the reality of the fear and the stress about it. But it was exhausting and isolating and lonely. You wake up thinking about it, you go to bed thinking about it. You have nightmares about it. I mean, it was my life for two years, and trying to be a good mom and a good caregiver and a good partner, it’s really hard.
And I think the kids definitely picked up on a lot of my stress. They had a lot of questions because they overheard certain names, so they would ask about “Who’s this? Who’s that?” Or “Why is Mommy crying? Why is Mommy so sad?” I had to explain to them in ways that a young preschooler and kindergartner at the time could understand. How do you explain that to a child?
With all this, did you ever have second thoughts? Did you ever wish you had kept quiet or gotten a different job?
No, never. Never. I would do it all over again if I had to. It was the right thing to do.
You were deep in litigation when the #MeToo movement emerged. What did it feel like watching it unfold but not being able to say anything?
I think that The New Yorker and The New York Times did amazing work, and any woman or any person that comes forward is very brave. I applaud anyone standing up for themselves, but it was a very lonely eight months before then. I was out there alone for a long time.
How do you think your case affected the way #MeToo played out in the advertising industry?
I would like to think that my case did have a multiplier effect. I’ve gotten emails and phone calls from many people in the business who have subsequently stood up for themselves. So I know that it has had a positive impact.
How much support did you receive from people in the industry?
That’s a complicated question, because part of the problem is change happens when the people who are holding the purse strings can implement it. There was a company that in the early days of my suit wrote a wonderful tweet about me and how they supported me. I have a screen grab of it, and it was really nice. And then three days later, the tweet was deleted. That was devastating, but also eye-opening—so that’s how it’s going to be. Someone got their hand slapped for publicly endorsing me. The bottom line is still the bottom line.
Was there more support in private?
There was a lot of private support from people who couldn’t go public because they were too afraid of backlash, which was really sad. To me it was like, “That’s great, but that and $2.75 will get me on the subway.” I’m all about transparency. If you can’t support me publicly, don’t bother calling me privately.
Did that change after the suit was settled?
A lot of people who were not reaching out to me, reached out to me about how much they believed in me and blah, blah, blah. But I don’t talk to anyone who suddenly found their voice after they knew which way the wind was blowing. I really learned who my friends were, and I learned a lot about the character of others.
Have you worked with any groups on #MeToo issues, like Time’s Up Advertising?
I’ve never been contacted by Times Up Advertising. I didn’t even know it was launching.
How do you handle the notoriety?
I do worry that there’s always going to be an asterisk next to my name for companies that would want to hire me. People who are plugged into what happened in the industry recognize my name. In entertainment and tech, not as much. It was kind of a relief, actually, working in tech.
What’s next for you?
I kind of was adjacent to the industry for a year, and now I’m trying to figure out what’s next because I’m someone who loves to work. This summer, I’ve had more time to think about what I want. But I probably was pushing feelings away. I was able to lock up my feelings, like I just wasn’t ready to process them. It’s really been like a death for me, and I’m mourning my life. For so long, your career is part of your identity.
But I’ve had enough time to wait at the beach with my kids and try some new things. I don’t rest well. I’m better busy. So I want to do something that makes me happy. Something that I can believe in.
Advertising Age reported Omnicom and DDB White Advertising Agency TracyLocke were slapped with a sexual harassment lawsuit by a former creative director. The details include a TracyLocke executive allegedly encouraging associates to use the word “cunt” during a meeting at BBDO San Francisco. Hey, it’s just a little incentive for anyone seeking to benefit from Omnicom President and CEO John Wren promising to double the number of female creative leaders at BBDO. The initiative’s codename is probably: Operation Omnicunts. Oh, and the TIME’S UP Legal Defense Fund is supporting the lawsuit, which likely makes DDB Global President and CEO—and ex-TIME’S UP/Advertising steering committee member—Wendy Clark feel slightly uncomfortable. Or maybe not. Then again, Omnicom was named Holding Company of the Year by the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, which kinda offsets the fact that the enterprise is a hypocritical, sexist cesspool.
Omnicom and DDB Agency TracyLocke Sued For Sexual Harassment By Former Creative Director
The suit, which alleges wrongful termination, is supported by the Time's Up Legal Defense Fund
By I-Hsien Sherwood
A creative director who worked at DDB agency TracyLocke until last year is suing her former agency and its holding company, Omnicom Group, for sexual harassment and wrongful termination.
The suit, filed Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut by Karen Dunbar, now director of content marketing at Stifel Marcin, also includes charges of gender discrimination, discriminatory pay and promotion and retaliation for her opposition to these practices. She is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, injunctive and declaratory relief and legal and equitable relief in unspecified amounts.
In 2015, Dunbar, then a writer with more than two decades of experience in advertising, took a position as an associate creative director with the TracyLocke office in Wilton, Connecticut. The agency is based in Texas and has offices around the world. The suit alleges that she was stymied in her efforts to be promoted past the position of creative director, despite her high-quality work and her eventual role as lead on the agency’s HP account.
During her tenure, Dunbar also says she was belittled, characterized as a “nagging wife” with “strong opinions” and made to feel like a sex object. In one meeting at DDB, she was seated close to a client, “so there’d be somebody sexy, young and pretty” next to him, she says her superior told her afterward. The suit also alleges verbal abuse from multiple men at the agency and unwanted massages and touching in the office.
Another male TracyLocke executive encouraged subordinates to use the word “cunt” during a meeting at BBDO San Francisco, according to the filing. (BBDO employees were not in the room at the time.) It also alleges documentation and reports made to superiors at TracyLocke and human resources at Omnicom resulted in little or no action against perpetrators.
A few weeks after Dunbar tried to organize women in the office to challenge these issues, she says she was accused of disloyalty and fired. TracyLocke and Omnicom did not return initial requests for comments.
The suit is supported by the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund, an initiative of the National Women’s Law Center that provides resources to people who have experienced workplace harassment, including lawyers and funding. Dunbar met her lawyer, Kerrie Campbell, founder of KCampbell-Law, PLLC in Washington, D.C., through Time’s Up. The fund is helping with the costs of the PR firm on the case, BerlinRosen.
“There is an opportunity here to expose and hopefully change the damaging ‘Mad Men’ culture that persists in this industry,” says Sharyn Tejani, Director of the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund, in a statement. “The increasing number of women entering the advertising space deserve a safe and equitable work environment and one that is not detrimental to their professional and financial growth.”
Sexual harassment lawsuits in the industry rarely become public, as non-disclosure agreements prevent accusers who accept a settlement from speaking out. The industry’s most visible suit thus far, brought in 2016 by Erin Johnson, former chief communications officer at J. Walter Thompson, took more than two years to work its way through the courts.
Frustration at the pace and secrecy of repercussions for often serial harassers in the industry led to the creation of Time’s Up Advertising last year, an offshoot of Time’s Up, established in the wake of #MeToo scandals in the entertainment industry.
This Heinz advertisement from Mexico is bound to get a quick and hot response from TIME’S UP/Advertising.
Adweek reported TIME’S UP/Advertising named its first Executive Director, tapping ADCOLOR® and Omnicom alumnus Christena J. Pyle for the position. Wieden + Kennedy Co-President Colleen DeCourcy, not surprisingly, made a few stupid comments including claiming Pyle is independent and “won’t be tethered by agency politics or exceptions to the rule”—presumably meaning she’ll be able to operate outside the “power matrices.” DeCourcy also contended, “The check is not paid by any of our companies, and that’s what it will take to do anything that’s truly disruptive.” Um, can an ADCOLOR® and Omnicom offspring ever be considered truly independent? The White advertising agencies, incidentally, are absolutely signing checks and signing up members for organizations like TIME’S UP/Advertising. Is DeCourcy saying agency politics and power matrices are to blame for the sexual harassment in adland? Hey, her White advertising agency is hardly free of fuck-ups. Ditto her clients. At least DeCourcy’s ignorance gives Pyle a clear sense for the culturally-clueless clowns that come with the circus.
Time’s Up Advertising Names First Executive Director
Adcolor, Omnicom veteran Christena J. Pyle starts in new role June 10
By T.L. Stanley
Just past its one-year mark, Time’s Up Advertising has named its first executive director, Christena J. Pyle, a veteran of Adcolor and Omnicom who says she feels like she’s been prepping for the newly created role for more than a dozen years.
Pyle, who recently served as director of Adcolor and director of diversity and inclusion at Omnicom, starts at the organization on June 10 as “a natural next step that makes so much sense” in her career, she said, taking up the mantle of pushing for safe, fair and dignified workplaces in the ad business.
The group, part of the umbrella Time’s Up movement that started in Hollywood, addresses workplace discrimination, harassment, abuse and entrenched male-dominated culture with the backing of 200 agencies. Its first formal hire is intended to capitalize on the current climate where pay equity and female representation are top-of-mind issues.
“Ramping up right now is critical,” Pyle said. “We have this window, especially coming to an election year, to inspire as much change as possible.”
Colleen DeCourcy, Wieden + Kennedy’s co-president and Time’s Up Advertising steering committee member, said Pyle’s independent status means she “won’t be tethered by agency politics or exceptions to the rule” and can work outside the existing “power matrices.”
“The check is not paid by any of our companies,” DeCourcy said, “and that’s what it will take to do anything that’s truly disruptive.”
Time’s Up Advertising, for its next chapter, needed “a designated staff to make sure we’re holding ourselves accountable, tracking impact and maintaining the focus on our north star,” said Rebecca Goldman, interim CEO, Time’s Up. “We don’t want small change; we want big bold change. And we’re willing to invest in great people.”
Building infrastructure is happening across the organization, Goldman said. Time’s Up launched a healthcare-centric group this spring to tackle inequities and misconduct in the country’s largest employment sector.
And the group is inching closer to naming a permanent CEO, though Goldman said she won’t be taking the role and couldn’t speculate on when that appointment will be made. She did say the movement overall will have “meaningful, innovative news” within the next several months.
Pyle, who was part of Adweek’s 2018 Young Influentials list, was Adcolor’s first intern. There, she honed skills that will translate directly to her new gig, according to Tiffany R. Warren, Adcolor founder-president, Omnicom’s svp-chief diversity officer and Time’s Up Advertising steering committee member.
“The key was finding someone who could move from building interest and building a coalition to making it actionable,” Warren said. “We need to have an individual with the strength of character and the physical strength to fight these systemic issues. She’s the right person.”
DeCourcy said having a formal full-time leader makes for a “sharper spear” and a “Trojan horse” for the movement.
It matters that Pyle is a woman of color, DeCourcy said, “who understands all the complications of what it means to be underrepresented.” She also noted Pyle’s intimate knowledge of the ad industry and her “relentless, optimistic, positive, unyielding point of view on how the business can get better.”
Pyle, having done the arduous and sometimes lonely work of diversity and inclusions, said she’s spending time fortifying herself before she starts, “sleeping longer, working out, drinking green tea.”
She’s heading into a group that has hit some bumps along the way in the early going. DDB Worldwide CEO Wendy Clark stepped down from the steering committee after admitting that her agency had tapped former Droga5 CCO Ted Royer to help on its Volkswagen pitch after he’d been terminated from his agency amid an investigation into undisclosed accusations.
Women of color also said they didn’t feel heard during last year’s series of public meetings, which initially excluded freelancers and former ad execs who may’ve been forced out of their jobs because of harassment or discrimination. Time’s Up Advertising’s leaders apologized for the missteps and opened the forums to more women.
“This moment is too important to lose,” Goldman said, acknowledging past mistakes. “We’re coming together to fight for all women.”
Mickey D’s is getting deep-fried for its rampant sexual harassment—and now the TIME’S UP Legal Defense Fund is rolling into the drive-thru. Hey, is it an unfortunate coincidence that the fast feeder partners with a White advertising agency run by a former TIME’S UP Advertising leader who left her position after getting caught freelancing an alleged sexual harasser?
Adweek published a lengthy look at the latest lollygagging from the ladies at TIME’S UP/Advertising. The stumbling sisterhood declared, “Our mission is to create workplaces that are Safe, Fair, and Dignified.” An accompanying chart (depicted above) feels like something conceived, composed and crafted by an intern—and the type of intern who landed her gig solely through blood relations to a major client.
David Ogilvy said, “Search the parks in all your cities. You’ll find no statues for committees.” The TU/A mission statement and goofy graphic appear to underscore Ogilvy’s perspective. It’s easy to imagine a giddy steering committee covering a whiteboard with Post-It Notes, pondering every pillar and overthinking each participle. Although it’s more likely the Ms. Magna Carta was cobbled together via IM and email. A competent creative director would have instructed the group to start over, because the final mess is kinda embarrassing.
Aren’t professional advertising agencies already striving—at least through HR-drafted employee handbook instructions—to foster Safe, Fair and Dignified workplaces? Surely shops within holding companies have processes and principles that employees are required to uphold. Sorry, but TU/A is presenting common knowledge, common sense and common courtesy.
Additionally, how is TU/A authorized to enforce anything? Especially considering the majority of its members are hardly credible advocates for equality. Need proof? Adweek pointed out that women of color already feel left out from the cause. It’s time to admit that WOC underrepresentation in the advertising industry has been orchestrated by White men and White women. Contrary to the hysterical hollering from Cindy Gallop, there’s no evidence to believe White women will fight to secure true Safety, Fairness and Dignity for all. Indeed, there’s lots of historical data to demonstrate they won’t do the right thing.
Intersectionality is a tough concept to grasp, and tougher if you’re culturally clueless. Even the woman who originated the notion—Kimberlé Crenshaw—admits there are complex and confusing components. Certain Chief Diversity Officers have attempted to inject intersectionality into conversations, but the continuing conflicts show there’s still a great need for awareness and acceptance before taking action. Yet how can one expect to make proper decisions in this overall scenario if the collective membership is not fully informed and legitimately enlightened?
Anyway, here’s a suggestion/comment that’s bound to piss off TU/A enthusiasts: Ending sexual harassment and gender inequality—particularly in the advertising industry—is a man’s job. Hate to admit it, but IPG Chairman and CEO Michael Roth has done waaaaay more to address matters than TU/A. Granted, he’s been forced to act because his network is seemingly filled with predators and perpetrators. Nonetheless, the old man is setting standards for performance, practice and punishment. To be clear, this suggestion/comment is rooted in a few imperative realities: 1) men must minimally be a partner in any solutions; 2) men are better equipped to go toe-to-toe with offenders and; 3) men need to make amends for having started the problems—even if by virtue of simply sharing the same gender as the chronically-corrupt bad boys.
Think of it as a form of reparations. Then again, in the advertising industry, White men and White women have steadfastly refused to acknowledge their roles and responsibilities in nettlesome affairs and be held accountable for their misdeeds.
Adweek reported on the departure of TBWA Global CMO Kyla Jacobs via a story that probably should have been posted at AgencySpy, as the trade journal presented lots of fuzzy implications and innuendos. Apparently, Jacobs’ resignation may have been tied to HR complaints about her “abusive” management style, as well as the wardrobe style forced on team members. Adweek noted, “Some were also reportedly required to perform personal favors for Jacobs and to attend social gatherings with her outside the workplace each month.” Um, it seems a tad unprofessional for Adweek to publicize alleged wrongdoings in such vague fashion—especially in these times of scandalous discrimination and sexual harassment. Jacobs is a signatory for TIME’S UP/Advertising, so let’s hope her alleged bad behavior doesn’t add more drama for that particular movement. Regardless, Adweek should either clearly expose any newsworthy issues or not cast suspicion on what appears to be the mutual separation agreement of a typical asshole boss.
TBWA Global CMO Kyla Jacobs Departs Company Following HR Complaints
5-year veteran led new business efforts
By Patrick Coffee
TBWA\Worldwide global CMO Kyla Jacobs, a member of the Omnicom network’s executive leadership team who has run its new business efforts around the world for the past three years, will be leaving the company, a spokesperson confirmed this week.
The agency representative told Adweek that Jacobs resigned from her position and that Ulrich Proeschel, a longtime TBWA veteran based in Berlin who currently serves as vp of business development for the European region, will succeed her on an interim basis.
“I’m resigning after five productive years leading new business at TBWA because it is time for new challenges and a fresh start,” Jacobs wrote in an email.
Jacobs and the agency spokesperson declined to elaborate further on the circumstances surrounding her departure, but two sources with direct knowledge of the situation said the move followed multiple HR complaints regarding her management style and specific actions taken during her tenure.
One person said a member of the group, which is known by the nickname “new biz ninjas,” left the company several months ago after filing an HR complaint due to ongoing conflicts with Jacobs. Information from that person that was not intended to be shared publicly eventually made its way to others at the agency’s New York office, who brought it to the attention of leadership several weeks ago.
According to both sources, TBWA\Chiat\Day New York president Nancy Reyes confirmed to staff last week that she would be leaving the company.
One source said the aforementioned individual was not the only member of Jacobs’ team to file an HR complaint. Her former executive assistant also went to human resources earlier this year to report what was described as “abusive” behavior and received a transfer to another department, the source said.
Members of the majority-female ninjas team wore “uniforms” consisting of nude heels and all-black clothing, according to Adweek’s sources. Some were also reportedly required to perform personal favors for Jacobs and to attend social gatherings with her outside the workplace each month.
During Jacobs’ five-year tenure at TBWA, she led several successful pitches for accounts such as H&M, NBCUniversal and Pernod Ricard. She joined the agency as director of business development in New York in 2014 after holding the same role at CP+B in Europe and received a promotion to global business development director the following year.
At More About Advertising, Editor Stephen Foster posed interesting questions regarding the Wendy Clark-Ted Royer fiasco that few folks are openly asking. While the questions were inspired by Clark and Royer, the inquiries really apply to the broader dilemma—or “the biggest issue facing every industry and society today,” according to Cindy Gallop.
In one report, Foster wondered the following:
It also raises the important question of when, if ever, is someone who’s been banished from an agency allowed back into the industry. Does management have to make it, in effect, a democratic decision?
In a subsequent post, Foster went further by remarking as follows:
But you have to feel for the highly talented Royer too. He’s lost one of the best jobs in agencies although hasn’t been convicted of anything. Is he now unable to work in advertising, even in a freelance capacity? Clark might have done better to defend him, not on the grounds that DDB needed him and but that everybody deserves a second chance.
To answer Foster’s first question, someone “banished” from an agency is allowed back into the industry in roughly six months, as demonstrated by the Gustavo Martinez and Royer scenarios. And it’s closer to five months if you count Kevin Roberts and his gender equality gaffe. Additionally, the returns by Martinez and Royer do not appear to have happened via democratic decisions. On a side note, can somebody please identify Clark’s co-conspirators in Royer’s comeback? Surely DDB CCO Ari Weiss played a role, as it would be outrageous to learn Clark is choosing creative consultants on her own. Man up, already.
To address Foster’s second point, no, you don’t “have to feel for the highly talented Royer too.” It could be easily argued the man is a dinosaur. Especially in this era of TIME’S UP, #MeToo and divertsity movements, shouldn’t leaders take greater care to foster safe, fair and dignified workplaces? Granted, the advertising industry has a long history of ignoring and defying any attempts at diversity. But failing to adapt to societal trends is certainly grounds for ejection from a field that boasts being on the cutting edge of culture. Royer might have mad skills for commercial campaigns, but he’s got Mad Men skills in key areas that are now basic job requirements.
It’s probably true that Royer has not been convicted of anything. Hey, sexual harassment isn’t typically labeled a crime unless it features sexual assault. Inferring from Droga5’s PR statement, Royer’s alleged behavior created a hostile work environment, which put the agency at risk on a host of ethical and legal levels—and also potentially endangered the well-being of employees. The confidential nature of HR procedures prohibits public disclosure of details surrounding most terminations, making it almost impossible to learn the truth. Trade publications, however, reported Droga5 hired outside investigators to build the case to fire Royer. And Diet Madison Avenue targeted Royer too. So if everyone did their due diligence, there were legitimate reasons for the dismissal. Royer is certainly free to pull a Ralph Watson move and dispute the accusations if he’s been wronged.
Oh, and Royer ultimately wasn’t talented enough, as DDB experienced elimination from the Volkswagen pitch—beaten out by WPP and Publicis, which is downright embarrassing and emblematic of the industry’s sorry state. The agency that made Volkswagen an iconic brand lost to one company founded as a wire shopping basket manufacturer and another jilted by Omnicom after a grand engagement announcement.
As for Clark defending Royer, well, that would have been tricky, given the woman’s actions are indefensible. After all, she’s supposed to be representing TIME’S UP/Advertising and advocating for gender equality. Hell, it could be easily argued Clark is a dinosaur too—and a desperate dinosaur to boot—because in the end, DDB didn’t need Royer.
Finally, Foster’s contention “that everybody deserves a second chance” is actually valid, albeit not without restrictions. Unfortunately, in this era of TIME’S UP, #MeToo and divertsity movements, forgiveness has not yet entered the conversation—except for idiots like Clark. Refusing to kiss and make up is understandable, as sexual harassment has been conducted, concealed and condoned for too long. On the flipside, absolution comes easier when the perpetrator has made amends. An amends, incidentally, is not an apology, but rather, a commitment to live differently. Additionally, the amends would be unique for each perpetrator, depending on lots of factors including the extent of damages. Who will serve as a worthy judge in such acquittals? Definitely not Clark, Diet Madison Avenue or Gallop. And no, Kat Gordon, please don’t integrate the notion into your lame certification program.
