MediaVest

It looks like it’s another case of “realignment” this time around as MediaVest USA, which split the $1B Microsoft media biz with Universal McCann earlier this year, has had to let go of some staff across departments in the network. The memo, which was sent out today, reads:

“MediaVest routinely evaluates all facets of its business across capability, approaches, product, and staffing to evolve ahead of the pace of change, drive growth, and deliver on clients’ short- and long-term goals. Guided by these points of focus, MediaVest is restructuring and realigning talent, including a 4% reduction of effective positions. We refrain from sharing further details and do not intend to make any additional announcements or comments externally.”

The “4%,” which translates into about 30 employees, is in line with the number given by tipsters, who add this line that wasn’t part of the statement given to us: “All impacted employees who can be contacted will be notified today.”

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Those of you who are familiar with Thrillist.com may also know that over the weekend the “what-to-do” site sent 150 journalists, lucky winners and other random folk on a 3-day trip to Jamaica. Getting to Montego Bay was easy on a JetBlue plane set aside just for the occasion, and everything was going swimmingly until a MediaVest employee attending the weekend’s white party at Sandals was the victim of fate: a scaffolding fell on him, and his lady friend and four others (including Obama Girl).

ASSME’s Alyssa Giacobbe wrote of the nightmarish incident, “Of course, nothing kills a buzz better than bloodshed, and the [white] party ended somewhat abruptly after one of the strobes serving to light the dance floor came crashing down. Six people were injured, including a guy from Mediavest who stayed behind in Jamaica with Thrillist’s Ben Lerer but was expected to be on this morning’s first flight out with, it was thought, a busted shoulder and, probably, a lifetime welcome at Sandals resorts worldwide.”

Well we hear the young lad is back at work today, and looks a little like he was on the bad end of a bull fight. Whatever, that’s bad ass, dude. And, free Sandals for life! The only trick now is to get JetBlue to comp every flight, ever. Or you could sue for a few million. A broken collar bone and sprained wrist are proof enough of negligence, right?

Oh, and apparently his girlfriend was hurt too. In the end, someone has to pay for these things, whether it be in journalistic integrity or blood (though we’re pretty sure the MV guy and ladyfriend are innocents here &#151 which makes it that much worse).

NYMag: “Six people went to the hospital, one with a fractured collarbone. The Obama Girl got a nasty gash in her forehead (she didn’t need stitches, according to Thrillist’s rep, and ‘all other injuries were minor’). But others may have been in worse shape. ‘When they moved the rigging, there was one guy who just didn’t get up,’ says our source at the scene. ‘He had huge splotches of blood on his whites, but he wasn’t bleeding. I assumed it must have been someone else’s blood. To his credit, he was joking with people as he was carried away.’ And to Thrillist’s credit, the party was relocated to another venue, so that the night’s survivors might quickly drink away their PTSD.”

More: “AgencySpy Should be in Jamaica Right Now”

New York City is full of bugs, and possibly the worst among them are bed bugs. Saatchi, you know what I’m talking about. Today we have a memo from MediaVest explaining that there may be bed bugs in the building, and certain floors of the New York City shop will be closed for de-bugging measures. The only problem: once you’ve got em, you have to get a professional in there to take care of it. This is not a problem RAID can solve.

Unfortunately I’ve been told that all employees on the 7th and 13th floor are being asked to work from home tomorrow and Friday &#151 in advance of treatments this Saturday. No live bugs have been found &#151 however for a building this size, this is standard procedure.

At such short notice, there is not the capability to provide laptops off-site – or set up in conference rooms. Therefore we ask that you try to be as productive as possible from your home computer, blackberry, phone, or public access if needed, and connect with your supervisor to manage deliverables and deadlines.

This is not an emergency &#151 just a smart precaution.

No, bed bugs aren’t an emergency, but they are a nuisance. Something more annoying: sitting at home, doing all your work from your BlackBerry (carpal tunnel anyone?!), wondering if the small red mark on your ankle is a bed bug or a stress rash caused by the pile of work you can’t get done because of the damn bed bugs. Have a nice day.

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More: “Saatchi & Saatchi: Home of Creativity, JC Penney and Bed Bugs”