We got a tip late last week that mentioned that DDB Seattle had just let 20 more staffers go at the time. Apparently it is the fourth or fifth layoff of staff in a series over the past few months as business dwindles int he region.

Looks like the on-going struggles of DDB have expanded beyond just the Chicago operation and are affecting other offices as well...

DDB and Tribal, both out of London, have produced a TV campaign with a twist (think "The Crying Game") for a new Philips razor for women.

The ad for the Satinelle Ice Epilator features an LA-based transvestite dancer, Karis, using the shaver -- and it will be shown across Western Europe.

The TV spot is backed by print, outdoor and online ads.

The comments have been blazing with folks for or against and the truth is caught between about six players at Tribal and DDB, both. Ah, everyone has their own idea of "truth" and here's the other side of the Ginsberg/January/Shave Everywhere debacle.

Ginsberg and Vernon worked for DDB NY for two years. Creativity got it wrong. Hey, it happens. However, the pair concepted, wrote, cast, filmed, designed, and edited everything from the site to the posters to the 13-inch promotional rulers – all with another team from Tribal: Brook Lundy, Daniel Modell and big deal ECD Steve Nesle.

In this version of events, credit for the project was fought over between Tribal (Nesle) and DDB (Garfinkle). Apparently, politics is nasty no matter where you play it. The supposed compromise was to call it a Tribal DDB NY project, but include Vernon and Ginsberg. Credits for the work vary from including the duo to omitting them.

I have a feeling that there is more to come on this story.

So... who do you believe?

Rumor has it that DDB Chicago is going through some lay offs today, which just sucks. Layoffs always just suck. Not sure how many or from what departments. Wonder if the next "Thought From Bob Scarpelli " email will cover this, but... what do you even say?

The lay off thing is especially tricky, because the industry (unless you are on the interactive) is slow in regards to hiring these days. Plus, you know that those over 40 with the most experience, the highest paychecks and the greatest risk (retirement, kids, etc.) see the swing of the axe first. In ten years or so, that could be you or me or it's you right now. Best of luck to everyone who got caught out today.

I posted an email last week from DDB's Big Bob from his series titled, “Here’s a thought from Bob Scarpelli." So, what prompts a CEO or an ECD to start directly communicating with staffers? According to Bob, the staffers themselves. From his very first missive:

'As I travel around our DDB world, many of you have told me that you’d like to hear from me on a more regular basis. And I realized that I haven’t communicated with “all of us” as much as I have with "some of us." So, I plan to send out a note every other Monday under the heading, “Here’s a Thought.” And that’s just what these notes will be.'

Direct communication from your boss is a good thing. I'm just wondering if staffers can respond, write back and dialogue. Anyone ever click that reply button?

This isn't a new thing. Many big dawgs communicate with their entire roster of employees. Does your boss?

DDB's, Bob Scarpelli, has been started to send bi-weekly emails to the staff on various topics with the title, "Here's A Thought From Bob Scarpelli." This week’s email is below.

"Here’s a thought from Bob Scarpelli

Like many of you, I have been lucky enough to be able to work with one of my heroes, Keith Reinhard, our Chairman Emeritus. In my case, I’ve worked with Keith for over 30 years, beginning when I was a copywriter at what was then Needham Harper & Steers in Chicago. Keith was our Creative Director. How many nights did we sit outside his office clutching our storyboards, seeking his direction and hoping for his approval?
Keith is one of the giants of our industry. Over the years, he’s set an example that everyone inside or outside DDB can look up to. It’s nearly impossible to recount his accomplishments as “a working creative man” as he puts it, Creative Director, agency leader and industry leader.

Simply put, DDB would not be who we are without him. Neither would our industry. And next week, the advertising industry in the United States is recognizing Keith’s impact and influence by inducting him into the Advertising Hall of Fame. Who deserves it more? Keith’s dream was to revive the legacy of his hero, Bill Bernbach, and build a network of like-minded individuals who shared Bill’s beliefs and standards. Along the way, Keith helped create a little entity called Omnicom. Today, the bedrock of DDB Worldwide is still the culture and values Keith spread throughout our world. Those values are Creativity and Humanity. Those are Keith’s values. And I feel they are the reason why just over 13,000 of us believe in DDB.

As a person and as a leader, Keith has always had more intellectual curiosity, more energy and more passion for our business and our clients’ business than any other 20 people combined. There is no one else like him. I know you’ll want to join me in congratulating Keith on this extremely well-deserved honor. We should all be very proud. You can congratulate Keith at xxxxx@ddb.com.

(And just to make all of us jealous of what he’s done in his career, I’ve attached his “official” biography).
Thanks.

Bob Scarpelli
Chairman, Chief Creative Officer"

Bob's got a point about Keith. The man is a legend. For heaven's sake, he created The Hamburglar, as well as the slogan that made it into girl's slapsies games nationwide: "You deserve a break today, so get up this morning and start your day with McDonald's." Sick. In 1984 Keith was named the first ever American president of the jury at the International Advertising Festival in Cannes, and in 1999 became the first person ever to serve as president of the Cannes jury twice. Concurrent with the creation of Omnicom, Keith accomplished the merger of Doyle Dane Bernbach and Needham Harper Worldwide, first known as DDB Needham Worldwide and now DDB Worldwide. Advertising Age has referred to Keith Reinhard as the advertising industry’s “soft-spoken visionary” and in 1999 named him one of the top 100 industry influentials in advertising history. In 2004 Keith founded the much needed Business for Diplomatic Action, Inc., a not-for-profit private sector effort to enlist the U.S. business community in actions aimed at improving the standing of America in the world. Keith is a past Chairman of the American Association of Advertising Agencies and remains a member of its Advisory Council.

There's more, but you get the idea.

AdPulp broke the news that Paul Tilley of DDB Chicago jumped from the roof of the Fairmount Hotel yesterday. Our sources confirm and Adweak has the larger story.

Our heartfelt and true condolences go out to his family and friends.

AS

Addendum:

A note to our readers - bloggers from AdPulp to folks on Twitter have been linking to one of our posts about Paul Tilley. The post is live on our Wordpress site (the comments are there) and on the MB home site.

I received the news at 2:00 am. via another blogger. I was horrified. Not because the blog has posted questioning commentary about Paul in the past, but because in this case, the means of his death are so shocking. I originally moved the post into draft with trembling fingers. My thought was, this man has killed himself and those in cyberspace are linking to Agency Spy, as if my blog commentary and its associated scathing or lauding comments have killed this father and husband.

I do not give myself enough credit to think that a blog posting can cause a lucid, intelligent man to jump from a building. I am a blogger. My words may sting. They may also applaud, but a blog post about an agency's new mantra does not cause an individual to step into the unknown. A blog posting about one's work, an editorial, a movie review... these things have been done before. There is scathing and often personal editorial about the founder of Mediabistro, written by Gawker, that is cemented in digital history. David Denby of the New Yorker has eviscerated filmmakers in print time and again. Martin Sorrell was recently taken to task for his blog postings on Davos. Maureen Dowd of the Times spent years putting pins in Clinton, etc. My (as well my readers) comments and criticisms, as pointed as they were, can not possibly be blamed for so tragic a death. I have been attacked in my own life by a business partner who told personal tales, intimate details (far beyond attacking my work) to clients, to friends, to my enemies. I know the pain of exposure, of things most cherished coming to light far beyond anything I have written about Paul Tilley and Maurice Levy or Marian Salzman, et al.

I see in the comments of this post that many will point fingers at this blog for Mr. Tilley's death. That is unacceptable. A man who has been described on this blog from many angles, died. He killed himself and for this, I am mournful. It is heart breaking to hear of anyone in our industry and beyond suffering in such pain. It is an unbearable thought - suicide. I did not know Paul, but one must think that there were many other issues plaguing his soul. It is not for me to say what sadnesses or complexities in his life led to his own taking of it. Selves can be bruised in ways far beyond the reach of a blog. It is hubristic to think that a blog made a man leave his family behind. It belittles Paul and what his life was actually about.

My sympathies and true condolences I extend again to his family, friends and co-workers.

Remember we talked about DDB's new internal mantra, "One Degree More?" Paul Tilley, EVP Managing Director, Chicago, is sold on it:

"Everyone,

As discussed at the Agency meeting last month, we're focused on growing and winning by giving One Degree More. You'll start to see this brought to life in a variety of ways.

The first, a speaker series, kicks off next Wednesday with a presentation and discussion by renowned photographer David Turnley. David won the Pulitzer Prize in 1990 for his images of the political uprisings in China and Eastern Europe. He is a remarkable and inspirational speaker, and we can learn from his stories. Special thanks to Diane Jackson for helping bring him to DDB!

Please join us for David's talk at 12 noon on Wednesday, February 13 in 40N. Lunch will be served, so if you plan to attend, please RSVP via email to Camila Trevino by Tuesday, February 12.

I hope that David, and future speakers from all walks of life who have been successful by giving a little extra, will be an inspiration to us all.

See you there!"

Turnely = genius. However, the whole premise of this email and that horribly infantilizing mantra makes us want to throw up. Tilley is going to bring in a bunch of people who went the extra mile and shove them in front of a bunch of other people who also went the extra mile to give DDB a pretty great year. But hey, just one degree more, okay guys? Oh and by the way - lots of agencies (Grey, W+K, Naked, etc.) offer such events without strings attached.

Back in an email to DDB staffers in October, Tilley also said,

"Some of you are doing truly great work — work that makes DDB/Chicago one of the top 10 most awarded creative agencies in the world. But too many of you are only doing good work. And some of you are doing work that simply isn’t good enough."

This guy needs to go back to management 101. He writes the most demoralizing emails. Yet, at one point, Paul thought he could make it as a game show host. Doesn't one need to be charming for that?

Remember when we asked DDB what their 10:30 am meeting was going to be about? Turns out it was a pep rally with everyone had to say "One Degree More." Rah. At least they have a mantra, right? Looks like they're also having "creative types" (photographers, musicians, etc.) in order to keep the team surging to victory.

Moving on... DDB creative honcho Paul Tilley sent out an email today introducing a new GCD, John Maxham. That's him up there. Doesn't he look like he should be Kiefer Sutherland's sidekick in the next season of 24? John was last seen doing something much more sedate - acting as CCO at boutique agency, Maiden Lane. He also pulled stints at Team On, Lowe and TBWA.

"Everyone, I'm thrilled to introduce DDB Chicago's newest group creative director, John Maxham.

John is an award-winning writer and creative director. He's an experienced, proven leader. And he's a great guy. A funny guy. A down-to-earth guy. And now, he's our guy.

When John joins us next week, his first order of business will be reporting to me on New Business.

He joins us from San Francisco, where he most recently led boutique hot shop Maiden Lane. There, he re-branded the agency, led an 18-person creative department, created the agency's interactive and new-media departments, and won six new business pitches.

Previously, he was creative director at Team One in L.A., where he led a large team, started the new business group and grew significant revenue for the agency. He got his start at TBWA/Chiat/Day in New York and also worked at Lowe in New York before heading to the West Coast.

From Nissan, UPS and Verizon to Heineken and Motorola, John has worked on a variety of accounts and in categories that bring great, relevant experience to DDB. And he's won at every major award show, including Cannes, Clio, CA, Andys and London international.

DDB is the perfect place for someone with John's credentials, personality and passion. So please stop by his office on the 39th floor and welcome him next week!

Thanks."

DDB Canada has instituted a penalty system for Blackberry use during meetings. No, for realsies. We checked. In response to what they are calling the "personal digital assistants (PDAs) pandemic," Frank Palmer (pictured above), chairman and CEO of DDB Canada, has "issued a new company-wide policy that creatively discourages staff from using their PDAs and other mobile devices, like BlackBerries and cellular phones, during both client and internal meetings."

"Whether it's done openly or covertly under the table, using a PDA during a meeting is completely unacceptable, disrespectful and hinders the progress of the meeting. While these devices are considered time-savers, they're also extremely intrusive," said Palmer.

Get caught once, receive a yellow card. On the second offense, a red card is issued by the staff member who catches you. The guilty party must then pay for the staff member's PDA bill for one month. Lunatics. Seriously. We get that folks using Crackberries at a meeting are rude, but the level of formality with the cards and then, the pay-out is a little fascist if you ask us. Can you imagine staffers jumping over the table to out their cubicle mate? Hmm... maybe fascism can be fun.