Nepotism And Scandal Fill Old Navy Creative Department
Hmm...now we now why all those Old Navy ads are so kooky. A tipster give us the lowdown on the allegedly scandal and nepotism filled world of the Old Navy in-house creative department writing, "Word from the tumultuous in-house marketing department at Old Navy is that the creative director, Mr. Landis Smithers (yes, that's his name), has fired the departmental IT expert and subsequently replaced him with another IT "expert" (credentials not known by this tipster) who just so happens to be the domestic partner/boyfriend/significant other (it's San Francisco, so we need to be p.c.) of one Mr. Smithers.
"This is only the latest in a series of shady, borderline illegal, certainly unethical, maneuverings of the man also known as The Snake, The Worm, Smithers (said with sneering disdain), Cueball, and other less flattering names.
"Prior to this nepotistic debacle, Smithers managed recently to fire four long-time employees by manipulating their spotless records of employment at the company, and submitting erroneous performance reviews without regard for any measure of truth or reality. " Ouch.
Comments
I am soooo tired of this crap going on - I am glad it is getting 'exposed'. Send an email to corporate_compliance@gap.com, and let them know that this unethical behavior is not going unnoticed!
p.s. you can address your emails to - Lauri Shanahan, EVP and Chief Compliance Officer, using the corporate_compliance@gap.com email address. (It is gap inc, which owns old navy )
Here is the link to see Gap Inc's "Co de of Business Conduct" including conflict of interest -- http://www.gapinc.com/public/Investors/inv_compliance_cbc.shtml#Conflicts%20of%20Interest
This is unnacceptable behavior by a publicly traded company. The entire department should band together with those that have been terminated and file a lawuit.
That happens all the time in my place of employment. The incestuous little group that manages to elbow out anyone who doesn't share a table with them at HRC dinners is jokingly referred to by the rest of the company as "The Gay Mafia". It sucks.
If the nepotism charge stands, HR should deal with it.
Still, it's worth taking this with at least a grain of salt. An anonymous posting that works so hard to throw childish barbs deserves a little scrutiny. I mean, "Cueball"? "The worm"? This makes it sound like the people at Old Navy are all in junior high.
Creative Directors fire nice people with spotless records all the time - with no reason other than they don't like the work. If the tipster knows false reviews were submitted - or that borderline illegal activities have occurred - it's cause for termination and civil suits.
Just remember...so is libel. And online character assasinations without proof to back your claims fits the definition.
I'm neither an employee, a former employee, a friend of this Landis nor gay. Just someone who believes we shouldn't jump on the bandwagon until we know it's filled with proof - not a load of axes someone wants to grind.
Word is, it's all true, tmack - that's the sad thing. Of course, these things are hard to prove, and those that have the burden of proof stand to get shafted even more if they do stand up and name names. The other sad thing? It's run like a junior high school, so the "students" are only giving back a little of what they've been given.
All good points you made, by the way. And in the end it's just a job, just another big company doing its thing, and life goes on. Silly gossip has a way of lightening the mood a bit, so I enjoyed the worm and cueball references... I mean, the picture sort of says it all, doesn't it?
I'm curious how this is all turning out. If everything is true - heck, if he's simply running the place like it's a junior high - the guy deserves to be replaced. (Not that people get what they deserve in corporate America.) Anyone out there know anything?
How could you not love me? I am madly, deeply in love with this creative department.
Born under a full moon, on the day the first men landed on it, I was raised by a northern mother in a southern state, was taught by Jesuits and artists, consider dogs to be lessons for humans, have my family's green eyes and freakishly large forehead, a profound respect for age, and a strong belief in the powers of kindness over reason. A graduate of Cornell University, I studied English and Social Anthropology, which did not, surprisingly, lead to a career as a teacher. Instead, I worked in advertising, crafted multi-media campaigns for multi-national clients, was a founding partner in published interior design firm, learned French, met my partner, Tim, threw black-tie new year's eve parties, adopted a rescue dog, collected photography, and started compiling this list. Currently, I am the new V.P. of Creative at Old Navy, responsible for evolving the brand voice across all media and consumer contacts. And yeah, that rocks.
What else can we do to improve morale around here?
i have known this landis guy for years. landis is not his real name - it is STUART. he may have 'learned' french but does not speak it. threw lame black tie parties you never wanted to attend, not really a published interior designer. jesuits - where did that come from?
don't even get me started on compassion. stuart, compassion is not 50% off on gucci. compassion involves feelings, human feelings.
old navy rocks? hah! i see a company that uses cheap (nearly slave) labor to produce even cheaper clothes that don't usually survive a wash and dry cycle.
i have known this landis guy for years. landis is not his real name - it is STUART. he may have 'learned' french but does not speak it. threw lame black tie parties you never wanted to attend, not really a published interior designer. jesuits - where did that come from?
don't even get me started on compassion. stuart, compassion is not 50% off on gucci. compassion involves feelings, human feelings.
old navy rocks? hah! i see a company that uses cheap (nearly slave) labor to produce even cheaper clothes that don't usually survive a wash and dry cycle.
i have known this landis guy for years. landis is not his real name - it is STUART. he may have 'learned' french but does not speak it. threw lame black tie parties you never wanted to attend, not really a published interior designer. jesuits - where did that come from?
don't even get me started on compassion. stuart, compassion is not 50% off on gucci. compassion involves feelings, human feelings.
old navy rocks? hah! i see a company that uses cheap (nearly slave) labor to produce even cheaper clothes that don't usually survive a wash and dry cycle.
i have known this landis guy for years. landis is not his real name - it is STUART. he may have 'learned' french but does not speak it. threw lame black tie parties you never wanted to attend, not really a published interior designer. jesuits - where did that come from?
don't even get me started on compassion. stuart, compassion is not 50% off on gucci. compassion involves feelings, human feelings.
old navy rocks? hah! i see a company that uses cheap (nearly slave) labor to produce even cheaper clothes that don't usually survive a wash and dry cycle.
The people that Hired Landis are gone.
He is an unfortunate symptom in a long chain of
Bad hires.
Landis was fired from Old Navy earlier this week.