A representative at Minneapolis based Fallon has confirmed that 18 members of the agency's 200 person staff have been notified that they no longer have jobs.

In a statement, the agency said, "Even with recent new business success, we found it necessary to decrease staff by 18 people due to budget pullbacks in our existing client base."

Last week, Fallon ECD Al Kelly departed from the shop, and is possibly heading (we hear) to TBWA. Sources say he's also shopping W&K, Goodby and all the usual suspects. There's no word on whether Kelly jumped ship, but this news would sort of hint at that. Advertising is the opposite of sailing.

In the beginning of the year, Fallon announced three bits of good news that weren't really such good news at all. Recall that the agency let you all know about their AORship for Boston Market and that they added Purina's Alpo and Nestle's beverage line to their roster in January and February consecutively. Well two of those, we're told, actually went down months before in mid-late 2008. Meaning: the agency stored up the news, saving it for the first of the year. PR is like sometimes like being a chipmunk.

Meanwhile, Darren Spiller of Publicis Mojo Melbourne is coming in for Kelly. We'll have to see what happens there. We're hearing the agency actually has something in its pocket for later this quarter. Cutbacks are normal these days kids; Fallon may be going down, but not without a fight (it seems).

More: "Fallon Minn.'s 99 Problems — Kelly, Wiggins Depart; Spiller Comes Aboard As ECD"