DDB Chicago sticks it to the troops!

Had an email from "Theo Kie" last week with the word that DDB Chicago was laying off a pile of people. Had another email this Morning from Bruce Jasurda pointing me at Lewis Lazare's column in the Sun Times today. Confirms layouts, disputes over numbers, which always means it's more than the fuckers will own up to. Apparently, it's all tied to continuing trouble on the State Farm account. Perhaps Paul Tilley, Managing Director, creative, is using it as an excuse for cleaning house after sending out a harsh e-mail in October, stating "...too many of you are only doing good work. And some of you are doing work that simply isn't good enough." Fuck. That'll make the troops sit up, not to mention rapidly getting their books in shape!

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DDB Chicago management motto!

Comments

[The Kaiser]

what a fucked up industry this is.

[Bob]

When I worked at DDB (not the Chicago office), they always preached the mantra of "freedom from fear."

Not anymore, I guess.

[pete shotton]

there's more to come, no doubt.

[fatc]

Any chance Tilley will be including himself in the group that's leaving? Just curious. Being the leader and all (for now), isn't he ultimately responsible for how "good" the work is?

[Auntie Christ]

"...too many of you are only doing good work"

Isn't that point? If there are no superstars there, blame whomever did the portfolio screening/interviews. Then again, maybe the person who wrote the memo isn't very inspirational.

[uhhuh]

"...too many of you are only doing good work"

Oh, you want GREAT work. No problem. I'm totally capable of that, its just that until you sent out the email I wasn't sure which kind of work we were shooting for.

This Tilley dude sounds like he belongs in one of those leadership books—in the chapter called How Not To Do It.

[the lower depths]

yet another top dog barking about what's wrong with his administration... if they hadn't had their hands on the steering hell, then who the hell was driving their train?

wimps. the lot of 'em. can't even stand up and say "i fucked up. it was under my watch and i fucked up. the buck stops with me."

but what do you expect? no spine nor stones. just a wallet.

[me]

wait, isn't the dickhead topdog who wrote the "you are not doing good enough work" relatively new? I am asking, I'm not sure.

anyway, bud tv was a fiasco, state farm is lost... nobody needs a calculator to realize they have to slim down a bit. that's life.

[Bob]

But me, can't they just say that? "We've lost a bunch of big accounts, we're a BDA owned by a BD Holding Company, and we're going to have to cut a bunch of jobs. Sorry, but you know that's the way this shitty biz is these days."

Why the snarky, evasive, save-my-own-ass "only doing good work email."

Everybody in advertising preaches "transparency," yet it's still the least transparent job on the planet.

Shit, even in prison they usually call your name before they shank you.

[factis]

For the record, Tilley was one of the least talented CDs at DDB (and definitely among the least respected) who was placed in his current position by now departed agency President Dana Anderson before she was forced out last year. (This was after she had passed over a slew of others better suited for the gig and brought in Michael Folino who lasted all of 6 months or so.) As such, Tilley is a battlefield general at best, and a real hindrance to any true creative progress there at worst becuse despite his lack of creative judgement and the total lack of respect among the stafff, he still actually thinks he's good. (Hence the pussy email he sent out.) Obviously, he's also a total drain on morale. The really stupid thing is, everyone has always known there were always two DDBs in Chicago: there was the Bud and Bud Light DDB that did all the cool work, and then there was the rest of DDB. Tilley did not come from the Bud/Bud Light side. He came from the side that he called out in his email. Ask any Creative who's done any of the work DDB was known for before this crap started. Bottom line: things there will not improve until Tilley gets moved to DDB Siberia or they can him.

[inside]

Paul Tilley RIP

[Robert]

Sad to hear today's news about Paul. He may or may not have been the guy to lead DDB, but this shows the kind of pressure and ridiculous expectations that infest our industry. It should never come to this.