Rediffusion comes to the aid of laid-off W+K India employees

Independent ad agency Rediffusion has announced that its doors are open to employees affected by the impending closure of Wieden + Kennedy’s (W+K) advertising services in India, via a social media post.

“When one door shuts, another opens. Rediffusion is happy to open its doors to talent that may have been adversely affected by the unfortunate happenings at W&K India,” read the post. The agency has openings in both its Delhi and Mumbai offices. One can mail their resume to vritti.dey@rediffusion.in

Last week, W+K confirmed it is shutting its two-year-old Mumbai office, reducing employee numbers, and will maintain a lean team in its Delhi base. This team will collaborate with the agency’s global leadership to support critical shared services and global business operations, which will no longer include advertising services.

In a statement to the press, W+K remarked it is “not doubling down on India” and is reassessing how the Indian market fits into its future plans. The global independent creative agency entered India in 2007, operating solely from its Delhi office until 2022.

This news came just a day after the agency's India Chief Creative Officer (CCO), Santosh Padhi (Paddy), and President Ayesha Ghosh announced their departure. The head of the Delhi office, Shreekant Srinivasan, also resigned.

Rediffusion’s move is seen as a noble gesture from an independent Indian agency. Previously known as Rediffusion Y&R, founders Arun Nanda and Ajit Balakrishnan bought back the 40% shares held by Y&R and Dentsu in 2018, once again becoming an independent entity.