Exposing Anti-White Harassment + Discrimination in US Media Companies
FAQs
adam&eveDDB
FAIL
adamandevenyc.com
TYPE: Advertising Agency
INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS: Omnicom Group
OWNER: DDB Worldwide (via Omnicom Group)
SUBSIDIARIES:
2024 REVENUE: $75 million
Global HEADCOUNT: 507
200 Varick St
New York, NY 10014
newyork@adamandeveddb.com
+1 212 415 2000
Through an integrated AI analysis of federal law (Title VII), New York State Human Rights Law (NYSHRL, § 296), and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) guidance, adam&eveDDB’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, overseen by Omnicom Group and DDB Worldwide, present significant risks of discrimination and harassment against White employees. These initiatives, driven by leaders such as former Head of DEI Bukola Garry (a Black woman), current CEO Miranda Hipwell (a White woman), former Joint CEO Tammy Einav (a White woman), DDB Worldwide CEO Alex Lubar (a White man), DDB North America CEO Caroline Winterton, DDB North America COO Isaac Mizrahi (a White man), Global Chief DEI Officer Nikki Lamba (an Indian woman), DDB Americas Chief People Officer Micheline Lewis (a Black woman), and Omnicom Chief DEI Officer Soon Mee Kim (an Asian woman), emphasize “systemic equity” and a “pro-actively anti-racist” philosophy. While intended to address historical inequities, the structure and implementation of these programs raise legal concerns.
Key initiatives include the #10000BlackInterns program, offering paid internships exclusively to Black talent, the First Bite Initiative, providing six-month paid placements for underrepresented groups, and the Career Counsellor Programme, offering personalized mentorship for women and ethnically diverse talent. Omnicom’s Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), such as Black Together, AcentO for Hispanic/LatinX employees, and Asian Leaders Circle, notably exclude White-specific groups, potentially constituting unlawful segregation under Title VII per EEOC guidance, which prohibits unequal resource allocation based on race. The absence of White-focused ERGs, combined with targeted programs, risks creating an unequal workplace environment.
The mandatory 18-month Inclusive Learning Programme, implemented across DDB UK, includes modules like “Anti-racism in Practice” and “Knowing Your Bias.” These trainings, influenced by anti-racist frameworks, may frame White employees as inherently privileged or complicit in systemic inequality, potentially fostering a hostile work environment actionable under EEOC and NYSHRL standards. EEOC and DOJ guidance highlight that DEI practices targeting protected characteristics, such as race, can lead to perceptions of harassment or discrimination if not carefully designed to avoid stereotyping or exclusion.
Bukola Garry, as the first Head of DEI at adam&eveDDB, developed the agency’s inaugural DEI strategy, embedding it as a core priority within DDB’s global framework. Her public statements, including concerns about the “non-Blackness” of senior advertising roles and her belief that Black individuals must work “twice as hard for half as much,” underscore her focus on prioritizing Black representation. Garry’s advocacy for aligning DEI values with client KPIs to enhance equitable representation further emphasizes non-White hiring and advancement. Bukoa Garry has voiced concern around other races, stating the danger she felt from being in a WhatsApp group with few other Black people. Her ideal world, as expressed in interviews, has an advertising industry that is less White. Confusingly, she dislikes being tokenized as a Black hire yet simultaneously believes agencies should hire other people based on their Blackness. Bukola Garry’s LinkedIn proudly states her devotion to Blackness and Black causes. Bukola Garry believes that aligning DEI values—presumably prioritizing Black people—with clients is crucial, as client sign-off shapes the extent of equitable representation and decision-making in agency work, ideally through KPIs that enable impactful outcomes.
Leadership rhetoric reinforces these priorities. Tammy Einav championed a “pro-actively anti-racist” agency, Miranda Hipwell emphasizes equitable rewards for underrepresented voices, and Caroline Winterton highlights a “minority-majority” demographic shift. Isaac Mizrahi and Winterton prioritize “multicultural audiences” as a core business strategy, while Alice Walker, Senior Strategist at adam&eveDDB NY, advocates for “diverse ethnic” hiring. Such statements, while aiming to foster inclusivity, may implicitly deprioritize White employees, raising concerns under NYSHRL and federal law, which prohibit workplace discrimination based on race.
Omnicom’s 2021 Corporate Responsibility Report indicates that 40% of U.S. hires were Black, Indigenous, LatinX, or Asian American, with 20% of executive or senior-level managers being BIPOC, a 25% increase since 2018. OMG UK set a target of 34% multicultural representation by 2023. These metrics suggest preferential hiring practices that could be perceived as quotas, which are generally unlawful if they exclude individuals from opportunities solely based on race. The broader legal landscape shows increasing scrutiny of DEI initiatives, with EEOC settlements in similar industries underscoring the risks of policies that disproportionately disadvantage any racial group.
In summary, adam&eveDDB’s DEI policies, while reflecting a committed anti-racist stance, carry a high risk of violating federal and NYSHRL laws by potentially discriminating against or harassing White employees through exclusionary ERGs, targeted resource allocation, and training content that may create a hostile work environment. To mitigate these risks, the agency must ensure that DEI initiatives are inclusive of all racial groups and avoid practices that could be perceived as prioritizing one race over another.
*DEI "equity" involves prioritizing certain racial, gender, or identity groups with targeted resources or opportunities to ensure equal outcomes at the cost of fairness and individual merit. DEI’s equity focus shares some similarities with communism and socialism in its group-based, redistributive approach, and with totalitarianism in ideological coercion.
**Omnicom’s practice of segregating employees into two adversarial racial categories, BIPOC vs White, can be seen as problematic under the NYSHRL and may raise concerns under federal law and with the EEOC, as it creates distinctions based on race that could foster division, disparate treatment, and a hostile work environment, potentially violating prohibitions against discriminatory employment practices.
Institutional investors like Omnicom Group increasingly emphasizes Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors, including diversity and inclusion metrics, in their investment stewardship and proxy voting guidelines. This external pressure from major shareholders likely serves as a significant driver for adam&eveDDB’s public commitments and strategic focus on ESG and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB). Consequently, accountability for the design and impact of DEI initiatives rests primarily with the company's leadership and board, who must navigate these influential investor expectations.
This information is based on publicly available information, including websites, case studies, and news articles from a recent period. To ensure you have the most accurate and current information, please refer to the company's official announcements. The information provided on this website is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice; consult a licensed attorney for specific legal guidance.
DieDEI.co is waiting on internal materials for a fuller picture of adam&eveDDB’s DEI program. Follow us on social and subscribe to our newsletter for updates.
NOTE: Client lists are subject to change. This information is based on publicly available information, including websites, case studies, and news articles from a recent period. To ensure you have the most accurate and current information, please refer to the company's official announcements.