It’s time to dust off the blind item category once again as we received a couple of tips on this and are still checking in on things, but since we’re getting the cold shoulder, figure it’s best to leave it our readership to decide. Here’s the last word from the Spy line that we received over the weekend. Feel free to weigh in. Names have obviously been redacted, but it does involve a holding company you’re all familiar with and one employee (at least) who seems to have had it.

“[Redacted} ad agencies continue to be on salary freezes. Some employees haven't had a raise in 4-6 years. [Redacted] profits continue to rise, as does executive compensation. But for 95% of employees, wages have actually gone down when you factor in real increases like medical, dental premium increases, etc.”

Hmm, maybe it was that pesky payroll tax that played into the mix? Whatever the case, we’ll keep looking into this.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

It’s that time again to dust off the ol’ blind item category. While the overall tone of this note gives one the sense that someone’s trying to light a fire,  you can pretty much tell that the author is on their way out the door one way or another. Anyhow, this alleged note sent by a frustrated staffer to his/her CMO at a rather well-known national retail chain mentions a couple of names that we’ve redacted, but you get the gist that whoever typed this up intended to go out guns blazing. Read on and feel free to weigh in if you’d like.

“What are you doing? No, really, what are you doing? Do you enjoy having a department that scratches their head at your every move…a department that’s mystified that you decided to retain [redacted] and [redacted], the 2 most life sucking innovation-lacking, uninspiring, micro-managing sociopaths, but eliminating [redacted], after two other well liked and respected Sr. Leaders leave? Is this what your consulting background has taught you? If so, it’s a waste of an education.

continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

We’ve been hearing about this since the weekend, and now a tipster has sent us a screen grab of an all-staff email that certainly appears to have been delivered by a certain higher-up at a certain Canadian agency. Apologies for the small image size, but we had to do a little trimming in order to protect the innocent and/or possibly drunk involved in this note, which came with the subject line, “It’s 3:37 am in Sweden.” We”ll leave it you to squint and play Columbo to figure this one out.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Why do we think this is not an anomaly? And no, sorry, that’s not the agency we’re hinting at but another, rather familiar one whose West Coast operations is having some issues with staffing. Well, why spoil the rest, here’s what we’ve heard thus far:

“Apparently, the managing director of a certain San Francisco agency with a major retention problem has taken to asking employees from other floors to sit near reception when clients or prospective clients will be in the building
as seat fillers so it doesn’t look so empty.”

Lordy, if only The Pitch could add this to mix for its surprising resurrection. Take it away, ladies and gents.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Let’s shake off the Turkey Day rust with a tidbit we’ve actually been hearing about since Nov. 11 to be exact. We’ve brought this up to friends at the agency supposedly involved in this blind ditty, but since we’ve yet to receive the actual memo/item in question, we’ve slept on it. But, thanks to a tipster who woke us up this morning, we might as well dust things off, send a smoke signal and let you know that a certain memo went out to an entire region within a certain well-known agency network that included an attachment that, well, revealed a little TMI. Here’s the first tip we received and subsequent ones (all from different IPs) below:

Nov. 11: “I can’t be the only one sending you the story of <redacted>, Head of HR for <redacted>, who, on Friday, accidentally sent an agency-wide email with an attachment that listed everyone’s salary. Needless to say there are a lot of people dusting off their resumes and looking for other employment.”

Nov. 12: “<Redacted> entire staff salaries emailed out by director of hr <redacted>. Vast differences in salaries in similar positions.  Bosses making less than people who report to them. Women making less than half of men in same position.  Lots of different probably lawsuit worthy examples.”

Nov. 12: “Might be worth checking into the <redacted> scandal going on right now. Apparently a company wide email went out with the title. ‘Everyone’s Current Salary.’ How’s that for juicy gossip?”

So, yes, tipster from this morning, we have heard about it and we appreciate you refreshing our memory. Obviously, this is a pretty sensitive issue, which perhaps explains why we haven’t received much in the way of tangible info. But, if anyone has more that we can roll with or can just give us an update, don’t hesitate to shout.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

And now, our second internal memo-based blind item, which veers from new agency mandates set forth in the wake of Sandy to what seems like just a frustrated higher-up at a well-known, say, non-traditional agency who’s had it with tardiness on his/her own watch. Folks, in this house, 9am means 9am, no ifs, ands, faulty alarm clocks, oversleeping, hangovers and buts. It begins with a quote from wordsmith George Bernard Shaw, who once said, “Better never than late,” and segues into what you see after the jump. We get the feeling, though, that this type of message isn’t too uncommon regardless of the workplace, though as we all know, it’s always Bob in accounting’s fault.

continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Thanks to the superstorm, the higher-ups had no other option than to channel their inner Bill Lumbergh’s and take “extraordinary measures” to keep the ball rolling. We get the feeling that this certain agency, though, is probably not the only one to enact something like this in the wake of Sandy. One snippet’s below, read in full after the jump and draw your own conclusions.

continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Let’s dust off the blind item category for a hot minute and bring you this quick memo that we’ve been assured is legit and was sent to staff earlier this week after someone was caught being a bit naughty on the phone. The message here, which came from HR we’ve been told, can be easily summed up by this classic quote from the original Office. Anyways, take your guesses, people.

“Hi all,

Just a heads up ….

Just figured I’d mention that the phone booths are not sound proof.

As a matter of fact, it’s safe to assume that everyone around those general areas can hear conversations that take place in a phone booth.

As much as we all enjoy hearing some of the colorful conversations that tend to take place within those ‘non-soundproof’ walls – it may be appropriate to have them outside of the office or … maybe quieter … ?

Thanks,

[redacted]“

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

We have received word on multiple ends that this is 100 percent legit, and it apparently has drawn the ire, as you’d imagine, of many female staffers at a certain well-known, Midwestern agency. Why? Well, because this was sent to 50+ certain “dudes” and those not of the XY chromosome at said agency caught wind. So, is this just a guys’ day out, a higher-up at a pretty notable agency bringing out his true bro colors, or is this overreaction? To protect those in the matter, we’ve redacted the incriminating info (sorry) but here’s the official body of the email verbatim that was sent at lunchtime yesterday:

“Hey dudes,

MeatFest is this Saturday at 6 pm in my backyard. The rules are simple. Meat. Booze. Dudes.
No chicks. No Veggies. No tofu. (Bread is permissable but only to sop up juices or as a bun.)

I know I have missed a shit ton of guys (You think it’s easy to organize this crap?) so if I you know someone who is:

A) a dude
B) not a chick
C) like meats
D) likes booze.

….Feel free to bring them. And if someone whines because they were left off this list, tell them to stop being a baby and just show up. It was an honest mistake.

T-shirts have not yet been ordered. Let me know your size if you want one. They will be about 10 bucks. Design is being revised due to a white ink shortage.

I’ll try to have enough beer on hand and a ton of meat. But if you have a meat specialty that you make, bring it on. If you are just going to bring shitty hot dogs, don’t bother. We’re totally up scale.

My address is
<redacted>
Google location
<redacted>
Google directions from the office:
<redacted>”

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Boy, someone sure needed to let off some steam, and we’re happy to allow the tips box to serve as a space for ranting, confessionals and catharsis when need be. All we know is this one’s targeted at you, US advertising industry. Why don’t you look in the mirror this weekend and think about what you’ve done? Anyways, here’s your end of the week anonymous rant.

“Hi US advertising industry! While we all suffer through the rest of this hyper-partisan election cycle, let’s remember not to assume that we all have the same political views simply because we happen to be advertising creatives. When you shout misogynist and religiously bigoted things about our preferred candidates and their wives, you’re being a jerk. When you spew the most derogatory invective you can think of about your political adversaries, just know that there could be someone sitting a few feet away from you who is trying very hard to keep his or her mouth shut. You may notice that lots of us don’t bring our politics to work. Perhaps you should try that, so as to facilitate a more tolerant and hospitable working environment. Also so as not to look like a boor. That is all.”

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

It’s been a good while since we’ve heard a tale of drunken agency hijinks, hasn’t it? Well, according to one tipster, an alleged brawl broke out from a booze-soaked evening–not at some agency party, mind you, but after just another round of late-night imbibing at the office. As is the norm with blind items, we’ll leave the incriminating names/associations out and leave the guessing game to you. Time to play Mad Libs again, and oh yes, it’s a geek fight, folks.

“Last Friday [ed: meaning April 27] in the _______ office at _________, two programmers got into a brawl when they were drinking late at work.  One of the programmers hit the other with a champagne bottle causing  police to be called and 17 stitches and staples to be administered to victim.  The assailant wrote an email over the weekend assuming he was fired and did not even come to work.  He was terminated on Monday.  Police are reviewing case for criminal prosecution.  Guess disagreements with alcohol get ugly at the ____________ office.  I do not work there but numerous people I know have confirmed this story.  ________ is the attacker and _______ was the victim apparently.  You can’t make this up…”

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

It’s been well over a month since our last blind item, folks. So, yet again, let’s dust off the beast with a brief comment that seems to echo a familiar theme at agencies you may know. Yes, it’s generic, but like always, roll the dice and have at it if you’d like. We kept it verbatim, just the way you like it.

“_______ is in way over it’s head. Super understaffed and everyone hates CCO ___________. Digital talent especially is horrified to see what’s up once they’re hired. I’d be very, very worried if I were a______ client with a big digital media buy, because if it’s not on TV, ______ still doesn’t give a shit.”

image via

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

It‘s been a few weeks since we boarded the Blind Item train, so let’s dust things off by regaling you with a tale sent verbatim from a source familiar with the matter. It must have been a hard knock life for this particular person in the agency PR community. Read on and place your bets.

Which New York agency flack got humiliatingly relegated to chauffeur duties in Vegas for the entire week of CES, literally idling at execs/clients’ beck ‘n’ call all day/every day, when his multi-billion dollar media agency masters proved too cheap to shell out for a driver even as they stayed and ate at some of Sin City’s most expensive hotels and restaurants?  But the week wasn’t completely about degradation: the Powers-That-Be did deign to permit said flack to attend the agency’s low-rent party. Unfortunately, nobody took the initiative to order drink clients’ products as party beverages.  So the flack spent the night playing errand boy to amend that oversight as well.  You wonder why he came back….a media masochist?

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

It’s been a few months since we’ve visited the old blind item section, so let’s dust it off, shall we? Spies are telling us it’s true that a full-service, NYC-based agency fired its entire tech team recently. From what we hear, this is the second time that this has occurred at said agency, though your guess is as good as ours as to which one it actually is. Fire away, people.

image via

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Ok folks, here’s our weekly mailbag and it’s time to play yet another guessing game. This is interesting.

“_____ agencies, mostly ___ and _____ [-based], are invited to pitch for _______.  3 weeks, time, travel and $$$$ invested by ____ agencies. here is the winner: “The business from the 2011 ___________ RFP event has been awarded to _________.”

Here’s a hint: It’s for digital biz and it’s not from NYC.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.