According to a source at the office, key management at Universal McCann have been offered jobs at Initiative and another IPG sibling, DraftFCB. Universal McCann’s 18-member workforce reportedly received news of the decision on Friday, although it remains unclear how many staff will be laid off.
The development comes after Universal also lost Bentoel Cigarettes, worth US$30 million, to MEC last year. A spokesperson for Universal McCann said: “It is completely untrue that the office has dissolved,” but would not comment further.
David Morgan, president of Universal McCann Asia-Pacific, was unavailable for comment.
