VMLY&R reviews

Being client-billable, VMLY&R is always having to react to the market. Client leads tend to unilaterally overpromise, leading to death marches being the rule rather than the exception. (The clients are entitled babies, or a-holes, but I don't blame the company for that.) The company seems to be completely lost since the pandemic. Their desire to be woke seems to obscure their desire to be profitable. And yet, WPP has killed the company's individuality and productivity to the point it seems impossible to recover.

Have you ever seen the meme that says “IF A COMPANY TELLS YOU WE’RE LIKE A BIG FAMILY THEN RUN”? That’s VMLY&R. I was sold on the agency being different than other agencies because everyone cares about each other. That’s the opposite of my experience. They’re actually the worst agency I’ve worked for. There’s blatant favoritism from ECDs and CDs (“if you want to be a favorite then work harder”) and misogyny on a daily basis. I witness disturbingly inappropriate behavior including sexual harassment very often, mostly from higher ups. Some great campaigns came out of VMLY&R years ago which put them on the map but sadly it’s been going downhill for years and the creative quality has suffered. The worst part is that people really are treated as just a number. I would not recommend this agency for someone who wants to do great work - VMLY&R is where creativity goes to die.