R/GA had to lay off employees in its New York headquarters, according to several parties who have reached out to us today and earlier this week.
This is not the first time this year that the agency has parted with a group of staffers, and we’re told that, as before, it is part of the cyclical churn enveloping all of the agency world as clients increasingly demand project-based work. According to an R/GA insider, the latest layoffs—like those that happened over the summer—did not stem from the loss of any specific piece of business. And a number of those who lost their jobs this week may end up doing the same sort of work again next quarter.
A quick glance at R/GA’s jobs site reveals that the network is indeed hiring in New York, London, San Francisco, Boston, etc.
That said, the agency has been involved in several reviews won by other shops lately, including Mini, Airbnb and Carnival Cruise Lines. We have heard, however, that all work on the latter account did not go to Anomaly, which had an interest in getting news of the win out ahead of the client’s official release.
The precise number of layoffs at R/GA this week is unclear, though one party tells us it was in the “low two digits” and another places the number around 40 in New York.
An agency spokesperson declined to comment directly for this post.