JWT head downplays senior staff departures
Agency General Manager Frederic Winckler downplayed the turnover, saying that the number of people who have left is actually closer to seven.
"It's nothing extraordinary," Winckler said last week. "People come and go in this business."
Winckler said that the agency has more than 100 employees and a certain fluctuation of staff should be expected.
Among the departing staff reportedly are two senior managers, Theo Lawton and Joe Senft, as well as a number of account executives. Media watchers said that losing such high-level staff was hardly normal.
"It's definitely a talked about fact in the small circle of friends, which the ad industry is," said an executive with an ad agency, who wished to remain unnamed. "And the issue remains very sensitive as those who have left rarely went to work in a store, rather ended up working for another agency."
According to a few former JWT staffers the WBJ talked to, the exodus was a direct result of a "lack of communication," between the company's client service and creative departments.
The sources said that they had difficulty dealing with the agency's approach of pushing clients to "give us carte blanche or get out of here."
"It's not the way you work with clients," said a creative director who wished to remain unnamed. "You always have to meet the client half way, or you should choose another profession."
Among the departing staffers was a four-person team that worked with JWT's major client, digital television producer Wizja TV.
The team, headed by Agnieszka Weglarz, left in late July and moved to Ammirati Puris Lintas to work on the juicy account of telephone monopolist Telekomunikacja Polska (TPSA).
"We were offered a chance for professional development, (one) that no one would miss," Weglarz said last week. "And without the background JWT gave us, I don't think we would have been offered this account."
Ammirati and JWT both work with one of the largest advertisers in Poland, fast-moving consumer goods maker Unilever.
The team's departure fueled rumors that Wizja may have been rethinking its relationship with JWT. During a press conference, Wizja TV Marketing Director Ross Newens said the company could change some elements in its marketing strategy.
The signal was eagerly taken up by Reuters wire service, which on the same day reported that JWT and Wizja were parting.
"Sometimes clients do use very advanced socio-techniques to give the agency an extra motivation," Weglarz said. "I don't think they were considering moving the account."
Drink, but don't drive
The country's traffic cops are getting some unexpected backup this summer - or is it fall already?
Law enforcement officials' effort to fight drunk driving was backed by the country's four leading breweries, Elbrewery, Lech Browary Wielkopolskie, Zywiec brewery and Browary Tyskie.
The beer makers last Wednesday launched a high-profile television campaign aimed at reducing drinking and driving. The campaign goes hand-in-hand with the industry's lobbying efforts to push through an amendment to the country's strict law banning beer makers from advertising their products.
While the amendment is stuck in Parliament (WBJ, July 6-12, 1998), the group is trying to meet the public's concerns half way.
"We know beer contains alcohol," said Andrzej Dlugosz, Elbrewery's corporate affairs director. "But we warn consumers not against drinking beer, but against drinking and then driving."
The first-ever industry-sponsored campaign also has its own spokesperson. The companies recruited Polish rally-driving champion Krzysztof Holowczyc to appear in their spot. Holowczyc was also featured in Mobil 1's award-winning television spot, created by Ad Fabrica.
"As a driver, I know only too well what a fraction of a second can mean on the road," he said at a press conference a week ago. "Such a fraction of a second lost after drinking even a little alcohol can cost a lot."
The campaign, which will last until mid-week, kicked off last Wednesday. It consists of 17, 30-second spots on both national channels of public broadcaster, Telewizja Polska (TVP).
But the beer makers are not alone in their fight. Their social campaign overlaps another launched by ad agency Leo Burnett and outdoor promotional company Cityboard Media. The campaign branded "The Polish Plague" was launched at the beginning of vacation season and is posted on 300 Cityboard-owned billboards.
"Due to the fact that our city boards are located along main roads, we felt obliged to join in," said Beata Fertak, Cityboard's public relations manager.
And with the summer season traditionally a bit weaker for commercial campaigns, Cityboard Media could trim its other advertisers back a little and donate 5,400 square meters to display the Leo Burnett-created black-and-white images that warn against drinking and driving.
According to police statistics from the beginning of the year, more than 3,400 people were killed and more than 48,000 injured in road accidents. Drunk drivers are responsible for a fifth of all the accidents.
Costly romance
@Entertainment paid a hefty price to annul its short marriage with digital partner Canal+ Polska.
According to the company, it had to pay its business partners around $7.5 million for money they lost while their contracts hung in the air during the month the two broadcasters tried to consummate their relationship. While Canal+ and @Entertainment signed a letter of intent, they never managed to actually do a deal.
The highest portion of the booty, $5 million, went to the company's technical partner, Philips Business Electronics, which had to suspend its production of its D-DTH reception systems.
"It's nothing extraordinary," Winckler said last week. "People come and go in this business."
Winckler said that the agency has more than 100 employees and a certain fluctuation of staff should be expected.
Among the departing staff reportedly are two senior managers, Theo Lawton and Joe Senft, as well as a number of account executives. Media watchers said that losing such high-level staff was hardly normal.
"It's definitely a talked about fact in the small circle of friends, which the ad industry is," said an executive with an ad agency, who wished to remain unnamed. "And the issue remains very sensitive as those who have left rarely went to work in a store, rather ended up working for another agency."
According to a few former JWT staffers the WBJ talked to, the exodus was a direct result of a "lack of communication," between the company's client service and creative departments.
The sources said that they had difficulty dealing with the agency's approach of pushing clients to "give us carte blanche or get out of here."
"It's not the way you work with clients," said a creative director who wished to remain unnamed. "You always have to meet the client half way, or you should choose another profession."
Among the departing staffers was a four-person team that worked with JWT's major client, digital television producer Wizja TV.
The team, headed by Agnieszka Weglarz, left in late July and moved to Ammirati Puris Lintas to work on the juicy account of telephone monopolist Telekomunikacja Polska (TPSA).
"We were offered a chance for professional development, (one) that no one would miss," Weglarz said last week. "And without the background JWT gave us, I don't think we would have been offered this account."
Ammirati and JWT both work with one of the largest advertisers in Poland, fast-moving consumer goods maker Unilever.
The team's departure fueled rumors that Wizja may have been rethinking its relationship with JWT. During a press conference, Wizja TV Marketing Director Ross Newens said the company could change some elements in its marketing strategy.
The signal was eagerly taken up by Reuters wire service, which on the same day reported that JWT and Wizja were parting.
"Sometimes clients do use very advanced socio-techniques to give the agency an extra motivation," Weglarz said. "I don't think they were considering moving the account."
Drink, but don't drive
The country's traffic cops are getting some unexpected backup this summer - or is it fall already?
Law enforcement officials' effort to fight drunk driving was backed by the country's four leading breweries, Elbrewery, Lech Browary Wielkopolskie, Zywiec brewery and Browary Tyskie.
The beer makers last Wednesday launched a high-profile television campaign aimed at reducing drinking and driving. The campaign goes hand-in-hand with the industry's lobbying efforts to push through an amendment to the country's strict law banning beer makers from advertising their products.
While the amendment is stuck in Parliament (WBJ, July 6-12, 1998), the group is trying to meet the public's concerns half way.
"We know beer contains alcohol," said Andrzej Dlugosz, Elbrewery's corporate affairs director. "But we warn consumers not against drinking beer, but against drinking and then driving."
The first-ever industry-sponsored campaign also has its own spokesperson. The companies recruited Polish rally-driving champion Krzysztof Holowczyc to appear in their spot. Holowczyc was also featured in Mobil 1's award-winning television spot, created by Ad Fabrica.
"As a driver, I know only too well what a fraction of a second can mean on the road," he said at a press conference a week ago. "Such a fraction of a second lost after drinking even a little alcohol can cost a lot."
The campaign, which will last until mid-week, kicked off last Wednesday. It consists of 17, 30-second spots on both national channels of public broadcaster, Telewizja Polska (TVP).
But the beer makers are not alone in their fight. Their social campaign overlaps another launched by ad agency Leo Burnett and outdoor promotional company Cityboard Media. The campaign branded "The Polish Plague" was launched at the beginning of vacation season and is posted on 300 Cityboard-owned billboards.
"Due to the fact that our city boards are located along main roads, we felt obliged to join in," said Beata Fertak, Cityboard's public relations manager.
And with the summer season traditionally a bit weaker for commercial campaigns, Cityboard Media could trim its other advertisers back a little and donate 5,400 square meters to display the Leo Burnett-created black-and-white images that warn against drinking and driving.
According to police statistics from the beginning of the year, more than 3,400 people were killed and more than 48,000 injured in road accidents. Drunk drivers are responsible for a fifth of all the accidents.
Costly romance
@Entertainment paid a hefty price to annul its short marriage with digital partner Canal+ Polska.
According to the company, it had to pay its business partners around $7.5 million for money they lost while their contracts hung in the air during the month the two broadcasters tried to consummate their relationship. While Canal+ and @Entertainment signed a letter of intent, they never managed to actually do a deal.
The highest portion of the booty, $5 million, went to the company's technical partner, Philips Business Electronics, which had to suspend its production of its D-DTH reception systems.
