Roe v. Wade—agencies respond to Supreme Court overturning abortion ruling

Within an hour of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, Ad Age reporters in Cannes observed top executives at major agencies beginning to craft statements to their teams, reaffirming their commitment to supporting employees in states where abortion is outlawed. The high court's decision to overturn the 1973 landmark ruling, which protects a woman's right to an abortion, has sparked multiple reactions from the ad world. Mischief President and Partner Kerry McKibbin told Ad Age that she is "Heartbroken by the decision. And enraged. Women will die because of this decision. The same Supreme Court that just said states can’t regulate guns has now also said that states can regulate women’s bodies." She continued: "And [Supreme Court Justice] Clarence Thomas has written that the rulings that protect contraception, same-sex relationships and same-sex marriage should also now be reconsidered. So, while I am heartbroken and enraged, we have to continue to fight. And I think, as advertisers and leaders, we should consider using every tool in our tool belt to oppose these changes. To protest. To protect our staff and their rights." Subscribe to Ad Age Sign up now for the latest industry news and analysis Click here Tracking industry reaction to Roe v. Wade Other agencies that responded to the ruling include Fig, The Martin Agency and McCann Worldgroup among others. All of the agencies that have responded, either in emails to Ad Age or on social media, have expressed their outrage at the decision, which had been expected for a couple of months. In May, the court's draft opinion was leaked to Politico, leading several agencies, brands and holding companies to issue statements supporting the right to an abortion. Some said they would help cover an employee's travel expenses for abortions if they were in one of the 13 states that had prepared to ban abortions if Roe v. Wade was overturned. Claude Silver, chief heart officer at VaynerX, said in a statement that today’s decision causes a “wide range of emotions” and that the agency has “updated our healthcare policies to fund travel expenses as it relates to reproductive healthcare around abortion, and continuously expand our range of comprehensive, quality benefits to support the diverse and evolving needs of our employees." When Friday's news broke, Judith Carr-Rodriguez, partner and CEO of Fig, sent a statement to the agency that said, “I’m sure you all saw the news this morning that Roe vs. Wade has been overturned. This decision is a grave injustice. It will disproportionately affect low-income individuals and people of color and it sets back decades of progress for equality. The rights of women and all Americans are on the ballot this November. I will continue to protest, and I will be voting.” Stagwell Group Chairman and CEO Mark Penn’s statement to his staff reads, “We are singularly focused on supporting our people through this transition. While we cannot predict how abortion access will evolve in the coming months, or even years, Stagwell believes employees should have access to excellent health care, regardless of their location. We are taking immediate steps that will expand our network travel benefits to give employees access to the nearest approved reproductive health care provider in a legally permissible way,” said Penn. “We hope this travel benefit will provide employees located in states that have implemented new restrictions on reproductive rights with access to care.” A spokesperson at Wieden + Kennedy told Ad Age that it "supports the right to reproductive freedom." The statement continued: "We will never stop working to create a safe place for one another. We cover abortion care at no cost to our employees, and will continue to do so. If an employee, their partner, or dependents live in a state where access to an abortion becomes restricted or banned, we will cover the travel expenses to a state where this is available, legal, and safe. This is a sad day in America. Let’s take care of each other in every way we know how." Kristen Cavallo, CEO at The Martin Agency, posted on LinkedIn addressing "current and prospective employees" at the agency. She said, "We are one company, made up of hundreds of people with a myriad of faiths and health histories and reasons to prevent, delay, start or expand a family. It is not my place to choose for you. It is my responsibility to offer healthcare support for whatever choice you make. And I believe when and if you become a parent is up to you." Cavallo also said that the agency will "cover the reimbursable expenses of adoption, foster care and IVF" and it will also expand benefits "to cover the expenses of surrogacy assistance, elective egg and sperm freezing." Ambika Pai, chief strategy officer at creative agency Mekanism, also took to LinkedIn saying she got the news while in a meeting. While abortion is still legal in Colorado, Jeff Graham, president and chief marketing officer at Denver-based agency Cactus said, “With issues of access and restrictions on abortion now thrown back to the states, it creates a new confusing and uneven health care landscape for agency employees. Our small agency happens to be located in Colorado, one of the many states that moved swiftly to codify abortion rights into state law shortly after the draft opinion was leaked. So while our female employees’ access to abortion remains unchanged, we stand in support of women in every state to be able to control decisions around their own bodies, healthcare, and if or when they become a parent." Contributing: Brian Bonilla, Ann-Christine Diaz and Parker Herren

Roe v. Wade—agencies respond to Supreme Court overturning abortion ruling

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