Draftfcb to pare down in Asia after losing SC Johnson

ASIA-PACIFIC - Draftfcb is feeling the effects of losing its SC Johnson account in July, announcing plans that it will be cutting jobs in Asia by around three per cent.

Draftfcb was the incumbent agency for household cleaning product manufacturer SC Johnson for 50 years, before losing the creative account to Ogilvy & Mather and BBDO.

Ogilvy & Mather is now handling SC Johnson’s home fragrance and home cleaning products including Glade and Pledge, while BBDO is in charge of the pest control and home storage products such as Raid and Baygon.

In a statement disclosed to Campaign, the agency says it will reduce its overall staff headcount globally by three per cent and that cuts in the Asian region would be closely aligned to this percentage. It is not immediately clear how the number will be spread among its Asian offices. Draftfcb currently has approximately 1,400 personnel in its offices across Asia.  A three per cent cut would translate to around 42 jobs in this region. Meanwhile, the agency’s flagship office in Chicago will feel the largest, with around 10 per cent of staff expected to be laid off.

“With SC Johnson moving elsewhere, we naturally had to take a close look at our staffing levels to make sure they were aligned with current client needs,” explained Laurence Boschetto, DraftFCB’s global CEO and president.

According to a Draftfcb spokesperson, the agency is looking to rebound by “maintaining its commitment to develop brilliant creative work that gets results.” Globally, Draftfcb will be focusing its resources and continue working with its clients including Beiersdorf, Bausch & Lomb, BMW/Mini, Boeing, Del Monte, Coca-Cola, HP, Kraft, Kowloon Motor Bus, and Novartis. In Asia, Draftfcb says it is continuing to develop new business, adding Maritime New Zealand, Wing Tai Properties, Suntory, Kang Nai, Supor, Electricity Authority, New Zealand Opera to its portfolio in recent months.