Auckland adman hires professional clown for redundancy meeting

[muriel_volestrangler]

If you think emotional support animals have got out of control, prepare yourself for news of an emotional support clown.

An Auckland advertising copywriter brought a clown to his redundancy meeting, as first reported in the New Zealand Herald on Friday.
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Faced with the task of securing an appropriate support person for the potentially tense meeting, Thompson, an aspiring comedian, said: “I thought it’s best to bring in a professional, and so I paid $200 and hired a clown.”

The clown, who Thompson refers to as “Joe”, crafted balloon animals throughout the meeting, including a poodle. His antics were squeaky, and Thompson’s bosses had to request he quieten down several times.

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/sep/13/new-zealand-man-copywriter-clown-redundancy

It's further understood that the clown mimed crying when the redundancy paperwork was handed over to the staffer.
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It's understood the staffer has, however, landed on his feet since his odd meeting at FCB, getting a new job at DDB along with his creative partner (not the clown). They are set to start their roles next week, upon returning from their birth country Australia.

DDB did not comment on the new hires but confirmed it was aware of some balloon-related activity and that clowns truly terrify them.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12267350