Campbell Ewald

Tips are trickling in telling us Campbell Ewald is laying people off today. If you know more about what's going on, please email agencyspy at mediabistro dot com. You can also Tweet us via @agencyspy, IM at agencyspy or call our tip line, 212.547.7935.

Update: Confirmed. Still no details.

Update 2: We've managed to get some details from an anonymous source. Word is about 30 people will be let go today, and the process will be similar to the last time — ie cardboard boxes are prepared and people are being asked to leave immediately. Not sure if they'll be allowed to box up their things and leave or if they'll leave the boxing to HR. If you recall, the last round went this way, and laid off employees came back to the office and were handed their boxes outside. Like a drive-thru.

We're also hearing that EVP, Director Human Resources Debbie Osborn is not in the office today and that someone else is swinging the proverbial ax. That glass door must feel extra heavy today.

No word on how much severance is being doled out.

More: "Tony Hopp's Email to Campbell Ewald Staff About Chevy Review: Timid"

Today AdAge announced that Campbell Ewald will remain Chevrolet's lead agency. Meanwhile, the automaker has opened up its doors to other shops, to whom it will present RFPs for various assignments. You can read the whole thing here. Tony Hopp, chairman and CEO of CE, sent an internal memo to staff regarding the news.

"Earlier this week, I met with Brent Dewar, Vice President, Global Chevrolet Brand, regarding Chevrolet's plans to include a broader set of agencies in competition for new brand and product campaigns. (ed: um, and? what'd he say?)

"Just as the new General Motors is committed to reinventing itself and the personal transportation business, Campbell-Ewald remains committed to delivering business driving solutions to Chevrolet every day. We will continue to do what we are currently doing for Chevrolet and will be part of any project put up for competition. (ed: yeah, of course you're going to compete and of course you're committed to delivering business driving solutions, but what did Dewar say?)

"Thank you for elevating the value that Campbell-Ewald provides for each of our clients every day — for every opportunity. These are exciting times, and we have the strength, capabilities and passion to build on our industry leadership and the growth of our business." (ed: yeah, you're welcome. but these are scary times, not exciting. now, what the heck did Dewar say?)

Not only does this email lack the confidence Campbell Ewalders probably need right now, it leaves a gaping hole regarding what's going to happen to the business. No one likes rhetoric, but next time let's consider not leading with "so I was talking with this guy who pays our bills and well, let's just say we're going to keep working really, really hard for him."

More: "Campbell Ewald Keeps An Account — U.S. Mint"

Campbell Ewald is trying to jump start their engine. Their new site, despite looking like Modernista's, is one example. Another tactic: grab every government account within reach. The EPA account is theirs, and they retained the Navy work after a mandatory review. And Crain's Detroit reports that they're also keeping the U.S. Mint after a review.

Apparently it will be CE's job to help the Mint, which is part of the U.S. Treasury Dept (obvs), launch new products. Er, moneys. Though the agency has seen one of its toughest years, retaining this business is definitely a plus. Other details about the win have not been made public.

More: "A Christmas Miracle: Campbell Ewald Retains Navy"

Campbell-Ewald launched their newly redesigned site yesterday and from the looks of it, we've seen this web-traversing song n' dance before and arguably done more cleverly.

From Wikipedia info to the YouTube vids to the Facebook presence, all accessible through their homepage, C-E seems to have lifted a few ideas from Modernista's playbook.

Update: Looks like someone has taken the liberty afforded by Wikipedia to more bluntly state how they feel about C-E's redesign.

More: "Campbell Ewald Tackles Lead Poisoning"

While their pitch for the Gap business might not have worked out just yet, Campbell-Ewald has trudged forth and landed a 30-month, $1 million contract with the EPA to handle the government firm's awareness campaign to combat childhood lead poisoning.

Crain's Detroit Business reports that C-E will target print, broadcast and online work at building owners, supers, contractors, DIY-ers, trade associations and other potential contaminators.

More: "We Hear: Campbell-Ewald Pitching Gap"

Sources familiar with the matter tell AgencySpy that Campbell Ewald is among the agencies pitching the Gap business.

Since 2001, Gap's business has been in the hands of Laird & Partners. As Adage notes, this is the client's first time going outside that agency in 7 years.

A spy notes, Campbell-Ewald "desperately needs the business to survive — but has a snow ball's chance in hell of getting it."

More: "Accounts That Should Be Up For Review: The Gap"

Way back in July of last year we told you that Campbell Ewald was going through the review process with the US Navy, an account they seriously couldn't afford to lose. Sources reveal that the agency will retain the account after a battle with Saatchi New York.

At the time we told you that the Navy folk seemed pretty happy with CE, despite their internal shortcomings, but are obligated by the government to perform a review every 5 years.

Well apparently they were able to pull it together and retain the business. Today is the first good day the agency has seen in a long time, not counting the USAA win from ah, December.

More: "Why Campbell-Ewald is in Review with the United States Navy"

If you live in the Van Dyke area of Warren Michigan or are willing to move there to become an ACD (or if you want to be an ACD and already live there) get that resume ready. But don't get your hopes up — from what we hear, people have been interviewed but not called back. Yeah that kind of thing happens, but it seems to be the standard there these days.

We hear that the agency's Southfield shop is closing soon too. That is all there is to say.

More: This is much more interesting

It's a very quiet ad today, so it's nice to see that amongst the meager amount of news is a win. Campbell Ewald has taken home media and buying duties for USAA. While the shop has recently been laying-off staffers due to the turmoil with GM, it's nice to see that perhaps with this win, there won't be more bodies on the unemployment line.

Of course, when there's a winner, there's a loser. Deutsch has held the account for the last year, but a new CMO has recently come to the USAA and you know what that (genearlly) means for the AOR. Lay-offs from Deutsch have been recorded at lower numbers than the majority of agencies. Hopefully, the USAA account won't change that.

More: Donny Deutsch Wins One for the Gipper

Update: We're told the final number of lay offs totaled some 100 people.

While following the Campbell Ewald's layoffs, which are said to affect anywhere from 50 to 200 employees before its over, we've been increasingly surprised by the techniques being employed by management to get through this sensitive time. And by surprised, we mean flabbergasted.

It's a rare thing, to be flabbergasted, and that feeling cannot begin to hint at how CE employees, current or otherwise, must be feeling in light of all that's happened. CEers say they have been humiliated in ways that cannot be invented.

You may recall that after being laid off, CE employees were told they could return the following Friday (now last Friday) to collect their things. In the mean time, we're told their managers took a class on how to collect recently laid off employees' belonging.

Why? Because after being told their job no longer exists, CEers were escorted from the building. As in, immediately after. No goodbyes, no stuff getting, no phone number exchanging.

They did however, receive a notification of when they could return to collect their things, along with a procedure for doing so. We're told it went as follows.

— Former employees were to go to the Campbell-Ewald HR building during a 20-minute time slot. If they arrived before or after, their boxes would not be available.
— Pull up to a designated point with their paperwork.
— An HR representative was to get the paperwork.
— The former employee was to pop their trunk.
— Another HR representative brought out their boxes.
— The former employee was to drive away.

Way to stay classy, management. But look, we understand it's hard to "manage" returning desk stuff to 50-200 people. It's just that the only logical explanation for the procedural method CE used is that there was some calculated risk to just letting people come back and get their things.

Had this gone the right way, and folks were allowed to return and get their things (or just take them when they were let go), things might have been messy. But a bunch of people just lost their jobs, it should be messy. Put down "The Idiot's Guide to Ruining People's Lives in the Most Convenient Way Possible" and take a lesson in humanity. This process is going to hurt. So let it be what it is, and stop pretending that there's any chance of saving face. You're just going to make it worse. Wait, you've already made it as bad as possible. Is there a Cannes Lion for that?

More: "The Morning After: CE Layoffs Said to Continue"