Unconfirmed satirical reports of a disturbing return-to-office policy

Chris Pash
By Chris Pash | 6 November 2023
 

Reports that agency staff are being scored in performance reviews on their ability to work in the office, and limit their working from home, may have been exaggerated

But the push back from the days of pandemic stay at home rules is real in many of the big global agencies: “We're a creative service company, and we work better when we're together.”

Canadian agency Zulu Alpha Kilo’s new video, Living from Work, set in a fictitious agency where the staff are told that they’re expected to be in the office not the now standard hybrid arrangement of two or three days but seven.

Zulu Alpha Kilo has in the past looked at what really happens inside an independent agency when it gets taken over by a big player?

And explored the fact that agencies will do almost anything to win an award.

The latest satirical film shows staff initially taking the news badly but the CEO delivers the pitch of her career with a list of benefits:

  • No more daily commutes
  • No more mortgages
  • Staff are encouraged to raid the boardroom after meetings for leftover food to reduce grocery bills.

Workplace perks include spending Christmas morning brainstorming on a pitch. Who doesn’t want to review pitch decks when they are on holiday?

The agency reduces freelancer costs by using in-house talent. In the video, a mother does homework with her children, pressuring them to finish writing “20 TikTok scripts” and “15 banner ads” by the end of day.

Living From Work debuted at Canada’s Agency of the Year competition in Toronto.

Agency founder Zak Mroueh wrote and directed the film through the agency’s in-house production arm, Zulubot.

Credits:
Title: Living From Work
Client/Agency: Zulu Alpha Kilo
Chief Creative Officer: Zak Mroueh
Writer/Art Director: Zak Mroueh
Script advisor: Amanda Mroueh
Designer: Dejan Djuric
Account Team: Mike Sutton, Alex Berube
Planning Team: Maxine Thomas, Emily Garvey
Communications Team: Kelly Flynn
Production House: Zulubot
Director: Zak Mroueh
DP: Adam Griffiths, Bravo Inc.
Producers: Colleen Allen, Amy Groll
Post Production: Zulubot
Post Production Director: Lena Hamady
Editor: Brian Noon
Online Artists: Felipe Chaparro & Can Yuksel
Motion Graphics: Miguel Natividad
Audio Engineer: Dino Cuzzolino

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