Exposing Anti-White Harassment + Discrimination in US Media Companies
FAQs
BBDO Worldwide
FAIL
BBDO.com
TYPE: Ad Agency Network
INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS: Vanguard Group Inc., BlackRock, Inc., State Street Corp, Wellington Management Group Llp, Massachusetts Financial Services Co, etc.
Owner: Omnicom Group
Subsidiaries: -
2025 REVENUE: ~$3 billion
HEADCOUNT : ~15,000
1285 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10019
+1 212 459 5000
From the perspective of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), federal law (notably Title VII of the Civil Rights Act), and New York State’s Human Rights Law (NYSHRL, § 296), BBDO Worldwide’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, spearheaded by Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer Jason Rosario (a Black man) under Omnicom’s OPEN 2.0 framework, and overseen by Omnicom CEO John Wren, Omnicom Global Chief Inclusion & Impact Officer Emily K. Graham (a Black woman), BBDO Worldwide CEO Andrew Robertson, and BBDO NY CEO Kirsten Flanik, carry a high legal risk of violating anti-discrimination laws due to potential harassment and discrimination against White employees.
The explicit goals to increase BIPOC representation and the use of racial and ethnic categories like "BIPOC"* and "LatinX" in Employee Resource Groups (with no comparable group for White employees), and leadership statements such as Kirsten Flanik's call to "hire more Black people" to address "systemic racism" suggest a prioritization of race in employment decisions.** This focus on achieving "systemic equity"*** through demographic targets, coupled with training that may delve into concepts of privilege and systemic oppression without a balanced perspective, could foster a hostile work environment for White employees. Rosario consistently frames DEI work through the lens of achieving "systemic equity" and deconstructing "inequitable norms," aka White culture, situating these efforts within a "global reckoning of injustice” directed at White people engaging in normal ways of being (which are inequitable to Black people). Rosario intends to “transform BBDO, and the advertising industry at-large, through an intersectional and equitable lens.” His view that "discomfort can be a bridge" in regards to corporate DEI are his and BBDO’s attempts to legitimize conversations and training methods hostile to White employees. Female leader Kirsten blames the advertising industry for "systemic racism." The BBDO IDEA initiative, founded by Black employees Naja Bomani and Isabel Rendon and overseen by CEO Kirsten Flanik, emphasizes community engagement and mentorship that may disproportionately focus on underrepresented groups, potentially sidelining White employees in violation of Title VII’s prohibition on race-based discrimination and NYSHRL’s protections against employment practices that create disparate impacts based on race. Rosario’s role, reporting directly to Robertson, and the advisory council’s biweekly meetings to advance DEI goals, could foster an environment where White employees face exclusion or harassment, as federal and state laws require equal treatment across all racial groups. Graham, meanwhile, sees her job revolving around “...systemic equity” that will “make a systemic impact across the 75,000 employees and more than 1,300 agencies of Omnicom.” In summary, BBDO’s DEI team aims for less White people at work, deconstructing White norms, less White hiring, less White resource allocation, a global reckoning of justice for White people, and the appropriation of White money and resources going to non-White people, with a focus on Black people. BBDO’s DEI efforts may discriminate against White employees, necessitating accountability for Robertson, Flanik, and Rosario to ensure compliance with anti-discrimination laws.
Reflecting on parent company Omnicom’s commitment to systemic equity, with initiatives like increasing diverse hires and leadership representation, CEO John Wren states, “As a global Fortune 200 company with 70,000+ employees, we know we can lead with our actions and make an impact through our work.” In 2020, Omnicom launched OPEN 2.0, an extensive action plan explicitly "designed to achieve systemic equity throughout Omnicom." This framework mandates that each Omnicom network, including BBDO Worldwide, has a dedicated DE&I leader reporting directly to their respective CEO. Omnicom's 2021 DEI Report unequivocally states, "We put diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) at the center of everything we do." The overarching framework set by parent company’s Omnicom leadership—which has over 60 dedicated DEI leaders across its various organizations—emphasizing "systemic equity," embracing “discomfort,” utilizing terminology like "BIPOC," tracking representation KPIs based on race, and establishing race-specific ERGs that exclude White employees, collectively paints a picture of a DEI program heavily focused on group identity and demographic outcomes. This approach, driven by leadership beliefs and external pressures, demonstrably prioritizes race in ways that could reasonably be perceived by White employees as discriminatory, fostering resentment, or creating a hostile work environment, thereby aligning with the concerns regarding potential harassment and discrimination under EEOC and NYSHRL standards.
BBDO Worldwide’s DEI training for companies risks promoting discriminatory or harassing practices, exposing both BBDO Worldwide, for facilitating unlawful practices, and the receiving companies, for implementing them, to significant legal, financial, and reputational liabilities.
*BBDO and 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.
**In an interview with Black BBDO Production Manager Tatiana Lanier, CEO Flanik mentions “social injustice [and] the murder of innocent Black Americans” being issues that impact American lives “24/7.” Lanier and Flanik “discussed the challenges of being a minority in a mono-culture industry catered to the white male.”**** Neither Flanik nor Lanier mention the stark disparity in homicide rates between races in the US (Black men are over four times more likely to be charged with murder than White men, despite being one-fifth as numerous. Said another way, Black men commit murder at 20x the rate of White men). Neither of them mention the nearly 770,000 violent interracial crimes committed every year involving Blacks and Whites, with Blacks being perpetrators 85% of the time. Neither women mention the social injustice of Black men in the U.S. murdering police officers at 4-5 times the rate of White men. Both Lanier and Flanik—with one being in a major position of corporate responsibility—seem to view Whiteness/White people as problematic, unjust, and worthy of shame.
***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.
****In 2025, non-Hispanic Whites are a minority in Hawaii, California, New Mexico, Texas, Nevada, Maryland, the District of Columbia, and Georgia, with several other states like Florida, New Jersey, New York, and Arizona approaching majority-minority status. At an estimated 12.6% of the global population, White people are a global minority. Lanier is incorrect in viewing White people and White culture as an overarching majority.
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 BBDO Worldwide’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.