Employees of the creative agency JWT METRO, which filmed the pre-election clip for Georgian Dream, are leaving the company. The creative director and head of strategy stated that the employees were unaware of the project, and their departure is a sign of protest.
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In May, JWT Metro joined a statement by representatives of the creative industry to boycott businessmen and the companies they founded in support of the Russian Law.
After discussions began on social media regarding JWT METRO's involvement in the ruling party's election clip, the agency's founder, Nika Bochorishvili, published a post. "This video was shot together with the freelancer team invited under my leadership," Bochorishvili wrote on Facebook, which was followed by public announcements from employees about their departure from the agency.
JWT METRO's creative director, Eka Kipiani, stated that Bochorishvili was not the director of the clip and took responsibility for the filming team upon himself.
"This video clip was not produced within the agency. Therefore, no one ever forced us to do or not to do anything. We saw it together yesterday. Now that everything is falling on one person who has taken everything upon himself, the others are hiding. This person is our friend, but we believe he has treated us wrongly, and we cannot accept it. We cannot continue to work like this. Our agency, in fact, has been dissolved," Kipiani said.
Sandro Javakhishvili, the agency's head of strategy, wrote on Facebook that he was also unaware of the project: "It is sad that the company where I spent four years is working on a project that we knew nothing about. If I had known, I would have made this decision more easily and quickly. I can say with certainty that the employees of the agency did not participate in this project, although this does not reflect well on the company."
According to Gigi Sarjveladze, another former employee of JWT Metro, the clip was shocking for everyone because they are categorically opposed to the fascist policies implemented by the current government.
"Because of the fascist government, my friends' daily lives feel like the last stop of hell. This week alone, three of my close friends are leaving the country, hoping for the best. Some employees of this company were beaten at their homes, others had their transportation stolen, and they faced violence even on the streets," Sarjveladze said. He noted that it was not difficult to decide to leave the job because he does not want to be associated with a person or a company that cooperates with a fascist organization in any way.
Several other employees left the company, including Gika Mikaberidze, Likuna Khazaradze, Nino Dvail, and Sali Nikolaishvili.
