Wunderman Thompson went through a round of layoffs in its New York office yesterday.
A representative for Wunderman Thompson declined to comment, but sources with knowledge of the agency confirmed the news.
A source with direct knowledge of the agency said that around 10% of the office’s staff, or approximately 20 employees, were impacted. The source described the move as relating to the agency’s desire to evolve its creative department in response to current client needs and anticipation of future ones.
According to the source, the process involves pulling away from some areas and skillsets while scaling up in others in order to invest in those areas where client demand is highest.
Wunderman Thompson recently hired Jill Applebaum from Facebook Creative Group as CCO in New York, which may give some indication of how the agency plans to evolve its creative offering in New York. Applebaum marks the latest in a series of creative leadership changes at the agency. Wunderman Thompson North America CCO Taras Wayner joined the agency from R/GA last October, and the agency appointed Bas Korsten and Daniel Bonner as global CCOs the following month.