Liars, cheats and thieves
Is our industry full of cheats and liars or do people of honour who stand by their word still exist in business? In an article that first appeared in Encore, Cameron Boon investigates.
The recent court case involving Paul Fishlock suing his former employer The Campaign Palace brought into focus more than just the struggle of one man. It highlighted that there are some in adland whose word cannot always be relied upon.
Fishlock, who was dumped from his position as the national creative director for the agency, discovered he had been ousted after reading about it in the trade press and the case saw many reputations take a battering, including former Campaign Palace CEO Mark Mackay. After sifting through correspondence between Mackay and Young & Rubicam’s global creative director, Tony Granger, and hearing testimony from Mackay, Justice John Sacker chose his words carefully. “I have serious misgivings about Mr Mackay’s evidence,” he said.
Unfortunately you’ll never stop agency executives knifing and dudding other agency personnel – at any level. It’s been going on for years. Unfair dismissal laws? Tripe.
The good thing is we do have courageous guys like Paul Fishlock and Andrew Moss who are willing to stand up and protect their rights against devious agency heads. The more these agency men and women of principle show their mettle the stronger warning message it sends to dishonest operators not to try it on.
Agencies have been shonky for ever. When I was wee newcomer to the agency world, I overheard the 2 top people in the agency talking about how they wanted to fire a person on maternity leave.
They knew there are laws stopping this, so they said they would wait till she came back and make her life so miserable, she’d quit herself. They were chuckling on how that way, there’s be no payout either.
Of course I couldn’t say anything – it would be the new boys word against the 2 top honchos. And of course , if the lady they shafted sued and I was called as a witness by her and testified, my name would be mud in the industry and I would likely never get another job.
Liars, cheats and thieves………………………. not much else needed really.
Surely it is about civil behaviour (you know sort of similar to that word ..Civilization) .
In the early 80s’ one of the trade journals ran a story outlining the shift from people being controlled by moral values…..” How could you?
To the age of dispensing with niggling little trifles like truth, fairness and decency “How could you get away with it?”
HOW COULD YOU (social restraint) vs. HOW COULD YOU GET AWAY WITH IT (social contempt)
Moral fibre and values with background are the only things that keep us from behaving like beastly animals attacking a carcass.