DDB Group Sydney has confirmed that it will be making redundancies within its Group this week. It is understood that the changes will impact 15 members of staff.
The staff members were informed this morning.
Sheryl Marjoram, CEO of DDB Group Sydney, confirmed the redundancies in a statement to the media.
“Recently, we’ve had interest from the press about the possibility of redundancies at DDB Group Sydney. It’s understandable, as this is a complex time for many agencies, and everyone is interested in the decisions being made as we all set up for 2025,” she said.
“We will be making redundancies within our Group this week. Redundancies within creative agencies are an unfortunate cost of doing business, but they are not just a business matter; they are also a human matter.
“People who have done brilliant things for DDB Group, who are both talented and nice, will be affected. They will leave with the support of our EAP program, our connections to assist in finding
their next role, and our commitment to be of help in any way possible.
“To minimise the stress of an already stressful time, we won’t be commenting on individual names. It is up to the people affected to decide when and how they wish to speak.
“These are moments none of us got into this business for, but when they inevitably come, we believe in handling them in the most respectful way possible, with all the care, comfort and privacy we can offer”.
The redundancies follow a difficult period for the agency. In October last year, the agency confirmed it would be ending its 13-year partnership with Westpac, effective from February 2025 after a creative review was launched in September.
Marjoram and chief creative officer Matt Chandler and chief strategy officer Rupert Price released a statement about the agency’s 13-year partnership with Westpac at the time.
“It’s a bittersweet farewell for us, as our time with the bank has resulted in some of the agency’s proudest moments,” the statement read.
“Over the years we defied the banking category with emotionally charged work that connected with Australians.
“We saw the brand through leadership changes, a Royal Commission, the global pandemic, and a 200th anniversary; we co-created products, services and platforms, and had the privilege of shining a light on the brave men and women of the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service.
“Saying we’re proud of this relationship would be an understatement, we loved shaping this brand and believe it always showed in our work.”
Last week, it was also revealed that the agency had lost some of its long-held McDonalds creative account, with Wieden+Kennedy (W+K) taking over the Chicken and McCafe remits.
DDB Sydney still holds most of the creative account, which they have held for a whopping 55 years.
W+K forms part of Maccas’ creative roster in the US, alongside Droga5. In Europe and Asia, TBWA handles creative and Leos is the UK account. DDB also controls its New Zealand account.
