Pros
Depending on the position, ML can be a fun gig. It has a youthful, optimistic vibe that will fade away after a year. However, they have a great coffee bar and the work itself can be creatively satisfying if you’re on a good team.
Cons
I put in countless late nights for new business pitches (keep in mind, we were salaried), was a team player and played an important role in making sure the work was ready for the public. In an annual meeting before the holidays, mgmt instilled a new policy of “unlimited vacation.” Meaning - take as much or as little as you want. It was scheduled to begin later that month. And later that month, they announced they lost USAA, a huge client that they didn’t actually nail down in the first place. They laid off around 75 employees of all ages and tenure. And remember that new vacation policy? Pretty sure it only happened so IPG (the agency’s owner) wouldn’t have to pay out unused vacation time to the employees they knew they were going to layoff shortly after. I lost 3 weeks of vacation pay because of this sneaky policy. In summary, ML looks good on a resume, will prepare you for another ad agency job. But the environment can be toxic, and you will feel underappreciated after the honeymoon period of working at a hip agency with big clients.
