Wieden + Kennedy went through a round of layoffs in its Portland headquarters this week, according to reliable sources.
Specifics regarding individuals and departments are unclear, but one party puts the total number of staff affected at approximately 50. An agency spokesperson declined to comment.
The news comes two weeks after Verizon confirmed that it had ended its relationship with W+K after two years. This agency shift, like the one that brought W+K onto the telecom’s roster in the first place (and so many that followed) occurred without a review.
McCann New York, which inherited the FiOS account from mcgarrybowen in 2015, likewise took over the main brand work from W+K when the client and indie agency split earlier this year.
2017 has also seen Wieden + Kennedy part with ESPN, which was one of its oldest and most celebrated clients, in favor of the expanding Fox Sports organization after winning AOR duties for Duracell in late 2016.
On the staffing side, former ECD Mark Fitzloff left the Portland office in December as Jason Bagley returned after 8 months at Deutsch L.A. to lead the department alongside Eric Baldwin.