I do not think a few words from people on a blog would take a man of that power to his death. I would think depression was more of a factor here. We all get stick from people and we all have to deal with it. My thoughts are with his children.

PS There is no need to be so bitchy and childish about others in there work. We all fuck up.

April 4, 2008
Recommend (5)

LEWIS LAZARE llazare@suntimes.com

Is a merger looming? Sources familiar with developments say one daring plan that has been floated to resuscitate DDB/Chicago involves folding two sibling Omnicom Group agencies into DDB, which over the last several years has been pummeled by major account defections (including last week’s loss of Lenscrafters), as well as upheaval in the executive suite and the suicide of top creative Paul Tilley in February. Sources say the plan would entail folding Element 79/Chicago and Downtown Partners/Chicago into the larger DDB. The scenario also would put Element 79 Chief Creative Officer and former DDB creative Dennis Ryan in the top creative post at DDB. A DDB spokeswoman maintained DDB CEO Rick Carpenter had held no such talks about a merger.

But observers familiar with the situation say it would be a quick way to boost DDB’s fortunes with an influx of new clients. But before the merger could happen, potential account conflicts would have to be resolved. Element 79’s Gatorade account could conflict with DDB’s Anheuser-Busch business, and Downtown Partners’ Northwestern Mutual account conflicts with DDB’s State Farm. But Element 79 has been on shaky ground with Gatorade, and DDB has struggled with the State Farm account.

Interestingly, DDB already handles most of the back-office functions for both DP and Element 79, which would make the merger much simpler. One source said Element 79 leader Brian Williams called together his staff to tell them the rumors about a merger weren’t true. Said one source: “That probably means the rumors are true.”

By Bob Tedeschi
New York Times News Service / March 3, 2008
Advertising blogs churn out some of the Web’s more scathing, and personal, vitriol. Last week, the bloggers absorbed some body blows of their own.

A posting on the AgencySpy blog said that ad executive Paul Tilley (left), “thought he could make it as a game show host. Doesn’t one need to be charming for that?”

TARGET OF ANONYMOUS SCORN
Visitors to AgencySpy and AdScam, two blogs written by advertising industry insiders, posted comments blaming the sites for contributing to the suicide late last month of Paul Tilley, 40, the creative director of DDB Chicago.

“We’re certainly used to criticism in the agency business,” said Nina DiSesa, chairwoman of McCann Erickson Worldwide’s New York division, who posted comments on AgencySpy.com in defense of Tilley, whom she called a friend. “But when blogs attack someone personally, without justification, and they do it anonymously, it’s just wrong.”

Tilley, who oversaw teams that created the “I’m Lovin’ It” campaign for McDonald’s and the “Dell Dude,” ads, apparently jumped from an upper floor of the Fairmont Chicago hotel on Feb. 22. The Cook County medical examiner ruled his death a suicide.

Gregory K. Brown, a specialist on suicide at the University of Pennsylvania, said that public humiliation could play a role in suicide because “hopelessness is often a major risk factor, and if you’ve been publicly humiliated and your reputation has been tarnished forever, you could see how someone could become hopeless.”

Tilley had come under particularly harsh criticism on the advertising blogs. AgencySpy, which is written by an anonymous advertising industry employee, was perhaps the most biting.

In a Feb. 19 posting, the site quoted an internal e-mail message Tilley had sent to subordinates, in which he wrote: “Too many of you are only doing good work. And some of you are doing work that simply isn’t good enough.”

AgencySpy wrote that Tilley “needs to go back to management 101.” The site then published 12 comments peppered with insults aimed at Tilley – among them an insult signed by George Parker, the author of the AdScam blog.

Advertising blogs have a reputation, even among bloggers, of being particularly wounding, Parker said. Since many agencies are now part of publicly held companies, he said, workers are under increasing pressure to show short-term results.?

***Agency Spy Ad Scam and George Parker should be held accountable for their defamation of Paul. I hope there is a push to file suit on behalf of Paul, perhaps to establish a fund for his children.