Apple Advertising Partner Media Arts Lab Cuts ~50 Employees

[MacRumors]

Apple advertising partner Media Arts Lab has let go of approximately 50 employees, reports Bloomberg. Media Arts Lab is owned by TBWA\Chiat\Day and Apple is its only client.

Staff cuts were made in multiple divisions, but many of the employees who were let go worked in the strategy division that helped Apple create ads for its newest products.

In a statement to Bloomberg, a Media Arts Lab spokesperson said that the firm's relationship with Apple "has never been stronger."

"Yesterday was a difficult day, as we had to part with some of our talented colleagues," a Media Arts Lab spokeswoman said in an emailed statement. "Our relationship with Apple has never been stronger, but as the needs of our client continue to evolve, we must adapt and continue to evolve the composition of our teams."

Apple's VP of Marketing Communications Tor Myhren said that Apple asked Media Arts Lab to evolve its marketing approach as Apple evolves its own approach too.

Apple's confidence and trust in MAL as our singular ad agency is as strong as it's ever been. As we continue to evolve our marketing approach, we've asked MAL to do the same.

Media Arts Lab has worked with Apple for decades and has been responsible for some of Apple's most compelling ads, including the famous "1984" ad for the original Macintosh, the "Get a Mac" series with Justin Long, and the well-known silhouette ads used for the iPod and iTunes.

More recently, Media Arts Lab was responsible for the "Welcome Home" video for the HomePod starring FKA Twigs, Apple's 2019 "Shot on iPhone" tour featuring bands like Florence and the Machine, and the "Bounce" ad for the AirPods.

Apple started creating some of its ads in house approximately five years ago, but has also continued to work with outside ad agencies. Apple two years ago began focusing more heavily on digital and regional ad campaigns, which previously led to layoffs at TBWA\Media Arts Lab.

Article Link: Apple Advertising Partner Media Arts Lab Cuts ~50 Employees

 

[OriginalMacRat]

Yup. Apple is making cuts across all divisions.

 

[jimthing]

Anyone wondering what Justin Long is up to recently...

See him in a great UK television series from BBC/Netflix called "Giri/Haji". His part is fairly small, but the series is very interesting. ;-)

 

[Ryth]

Most marketing/media firms are not run really well & have a lot of excess staff...it's not surprising they are cutting considering this industry as a whole is down-sizing to smaller marketing firms/media houses/etc.

 

[lkrupp]

Yup. Apple is making cuts across all divisions.

Nope, Apple is not making cuts across all divisions. Nice try at FUD though.

 

[symphony]

Poor workers. We often forget they’re also people... people with families, people with kids. Now they’re going to starve because Apple cut them off. I hope they find new work soon, because I really liked all their recent ads, especially their iPhone X ads back in 2017.

it’s very unfortunate.

 

[SEmAN]

Anyone wondering what Justin Long is up to recently...

See him in a great UK television series from BBC/Netflix called "Giri/Haji". His part is fairly small, but the series is very interesting. ;-)

He has a popular podcast called "Life is Short with Justin Long" .

 

[ersan191]

Wonder why Apple doesn’t just buy these guys if they supposedly like them so much
[automerge]1572995297[/automerge]

Poor workers. We often forget they’re also people... people with families, people with kids. Now they’re going to starve because Apple cut them off. I hope they find new work soon, because I really liked all their recent ads, especially their iPhone X ads back in 2017.

it’s very unfortunate.

Nobody who worked for an Apple-exclusive ad agency is going to starve or not find another job, relax.

 

[keysofanxiety]

Yup. Apple is making cuts across all divisions.

It’s not even Apple. It’s a third party company.

 

[PickUrPoison]

Yup. Apple is making cuts across all divisions.

Who told you that? That’s an unknowledgeable and quite foolish take, since Apple is hiring across all divisions. Literally the opposite of what you made up

re: the cuts at MAL, Apple’s doing more and more in-house, and shifting their advertising mix. They won’t need as much MAL going forward as they did in the past ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[Justanotherfanboy]

Poor workers. We often forget they’re also people... people with families, people with kids. Now they’re going to starve because Apple cut them off. I hope they find new work soon, because I really liked all their recent ads, especially their iPhone X ads back in 2017.

it’s very unfortunate.

Lol, and how do we know that the people laid off weren’t the ones that did NOT work on the Apple campaign? Or the ones that put forward ideas that were shot down vehemently by Apple? Or were simply dead weight?
Certainly if they are in danger of their children starving due to inability to find any other paying gig (laughable, at best...), then they clearly aren’t of the ilk that Apple should be choosing.

 

[Black Belt]

Tim isn’t upgrading anything so has nothing to sell

 

[gsurf123]

Poor workers. We often forget they’re also people... people with families, people with kids. Now they’re going to starve because Apple cut them off. I hope they find new work soon, because I really liked all their recent ads, especially their iPhone X ads back in 2017.

it’s very unfortunate.

Probably would have been better to not be Apple exclusive.

 

[TechFounder]

Yes because since Steve died Apple can’t pick any good ads. I think that other guy has to go too.

 

[newyorksole]

Poor workers. We often forget they’re also people... people with families, people with kids. Now they’re going to starve because Apple cut them off. I hope they find new work soon, because I really liked all their recent ads, especially their iPhone X ads back in 2017.

it’s very unfortunate.

I don’t think we forget that the people that lose their jobs are in fact, people. Something tells me they won’t “starve” if they have been saving any of the money they’ve been making investing. I hope they find jobs soon and I’m sure they will.

I also don’t think the quality of the ads going forward will suffer.

 

[Krizoitz]

Certainly if they are in danger of their children starving due to inability to find any other paying gig (laughable, at best...), then they clearly aren’t of the ilk that Apple should be choosing.

Wow...I mean wow...the callousness and inhumanity on display in this post is staggering.

Setting aside that no one, and I mean NO ONE deserves to starve based on their skill level at a particular task, you do realize that finding a job in America (and other countries) is not based solely on talent/merit right? That numerous other factors are at play?

Wow...

 

[lunarworks]

Most marketing/media firms are not run really well & have a lot of excess staff...it's not surprising they are cutting considering this industry as a whole is down-sizing to smaller marketing firms/media houses/etc.

A lot of companies are also bringing marketing in-house. AFAIK, Google does everything internally. (And it shows.)

Wonder why Apple doesn’t just buy these guys if they supposedly like them so much

Because if their output quality goes down, or if Apple wants a radical shift in marketing strategy, they can hire a new agency. Also, creatives thrive when they're not married to a single client/project, so it's beneficial in that respect to have an external agency.

 

[ersan191]

Because if their output quality goes down, or if Apple wants a radical shift in marketing strategy, they can hire a new agency. Also, creatives thrive when they're not married to a single client/project, so it's beneficial in that respect to have an external agency.

But they are married to a single client, it's in the article. The first sentence even.

 

[MadeTheSwitch]

That’s gratitude. Thanks for making great ads and making us money.....you’re fired.

Everything that is wrong with corporate culture today. People are viewed like expendable printer cartridges that you use up and throw away. And not just corporate. Our whole culture in general really. Just a throw away culture.

 

[ghanwani]

Their ads are too noisy and jarring (at least the 2 that were linked here). Of course as is almost always the case, low level employees pay the price of poor choices made by execs, because really, most people that are laid off were just executing what they were told to do by their management with little ability to influence those decisions.

 

[pika2000]

For all we know, the parent company, TBWA Worldwide, probably just did a headcount and decided they are 50 people extra and told Mal to cut 50 people.

It's sad, but that's reality. And performance often has nothing to do with it. It's all simply about headcount. Heck, big companies like Microsoft also do this, even internally. A division can be performing like a top dog, but when a new quarter came and you are over the alloted headcount, it's sayonara.

 

[m4mario]

Poor workers. We often forget they’re also people... people with families, people with kids. Now they’re going to starve because Apple cut them off. I hope they find new work soon, because I really liked all their recent ads, especially their iPhone X ads back in 2017.

it’s very unfortunate.

It is a tough time, but when you have a resume with the name Apple in it, its easier to find a new job.

 

[Jeremy1026]

Super common in the ad industry. Get a new contract, bring in 20 people. Lose a client, cut 20 people. Rinse and repeat yearly. It's ridiculous how short sighted many ad agencies are.

 

[citysnaps]

Holy smokes! Such drama on display...apparently because it indirectly has something to do with Apple.

News Flash: People are let go every day for a wide range of reasons in Silicon Valley. Ditto with people being hired.

 

[pika2000]

Super common in the ad industry. Get a new contract, bring in 20 people. Lose a client, cut 20 people. Rinse and repeat yearly. It's ridiculous how short sighted many ad agencies are.

That can be said with most companies nowadays. Contract workers are quite common. Less cost for the company as well.