Inspired.
The most pressing question in modern art has been answered: what if Picasso worked for Womble Bond Dickinson?
Over the last few weeks, the transatlantic firm has rolled out a rebrand featuring captivating cubist photo portraits of its lawyers.
The campaign’s tagline is “New problems, need new perspectives”, and if the new problem was “law firm marketing not weird enough” then Wombles discharged its brief with aplomb.
According to one of the models, the “thought-provoking” direction is “aimed at celebrating the diverse skills, interests, and experiences of our attorneys”.
“Oh dear”, said one solicitor when the first masterpiece was unveiled. “Who commissioned that!?!”
The perspective-defying marriage of headshot and profile left lawyers unsure whether WBD staff were now art, but they were agreed on one point: “Make it stop”.
Reviews focused on the headache-inducing qualities of Wombles’ efforts. “This ain’t it”, said one. “Messes with my head”, said another. “Aghhh”, and “that photo is twisting my melon”, said more.
“Me at 7 when I draw a side profile”, mocked one cruel critic.
Womble Bond Dickinson continued to follow its muse, however, and another Easter Island solicitor dropped the following week.
Then more.
The public remained unconvinced. “I’m really sorry but this pic freaks me right out 😩” said one viewer. “Same, hurts my eyes”, agreed another.
A chartered accountant was kinder, declaring, “This image concept is simply genius”.
Evem so, WBD has begun giving sitters' noses a more conventional aspect, and now the lawyers just look like they've suffered serious accidents with a meat cleaver.
The PR campaign failed to distract people from the firm’s entanglement with the Post Office Horizon IT scandal. Reacting to the hypnotic art, one commenter asked, “Is this the same Womble Bond Dickinson that acted for the Post Office when it tried to defeat the (ultimately successful) group litigation against it by 550 subpostmasters, wrongly accused of fraud? That Womble Bond Dickinson?”
WBD declined to comment.
Comments
95
2
Freaks.
That’s what I think when I look at those pictures.
However freaks is kinder than what I think when I think about the role Wombles played in the greatest miscarriage of justice in UK history.
61
1
Hahahahahahahahahahaha
Hahahahhahahahahahahaha
Ahahahahhahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahhahah
Ahahhahahahahahahahahahaaahahahhahahhahahahahahahhahahahahaha
*breathes*
Hahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahah
59
1
This must be a joke. No sane person could think this is good marketing. It'd be generous to compare this to a BTEC art project.
88
0
Why has the SRA not investigated WBD for its outrageous behaviour acting for the Post Office? It is a perfect example of lawyers bringing the profession into disrepute. My belief is that it is due to them being inept and simply unable to cope with such matters.
25
1
[...] an expensive vanity project like this ain’t gonna save em. I (almost) feel sorry for the lawyers roped into being photographed.
39
2
What else you spend it on when got £60 million post office money burning a hole in your pocket? Oh I know give it back? Rather than half a face I always found Wombles partners to be two faced.
39
0
Wombles half humans given way they mistreated the sub postmasters.
22
2
Appalling marketing campaign. Terrible visuals and meaningless strap line which has no substance or proof behind it. [...]
41
0
Given Wombles' part in the PO atrocities and their recent sponsorship of the vagina museum, surprised they didn’t jump straight to “same old problems, same old [ladyparts]"
27
1
Guess we know where all that Post Office Horizon money went then
36
0
Ha. The one Friday the Wombles marketing team thinks it can take a break from harassment , PO and Golden Turds, and it scores the own goal to end all own goals. Their content was relatively good a while back. It seems to have dropped off a cliff…
22
1
Did they ask the Postmasters to design their latest advertising campaign
46
2
wind your necks in Wombles , keep your heads down it will take a very long time from the stench of your outrageous behaviour in Bates v Post Office to blow over . Any client or any employee read the judgement in Bates v Post Office and ask yourself is this a firm i want to be associated with ?
35
0
A lot of Womble ass-hats do talk out of both sides of their faces, good to see that they now admit it and tout that as The Good Thing. Or are they confirming noses are out of joint?
29
1
They certainly had a different point of view with regard to sub postmasters
34
1
Can't believe you didn't mock up a picture of Uncle Bulgaria half face on, half in profile to join these Rof. You're losing your touch.
26
1
Strapline - Horizon Scanning
28
0
It’s astonishing that there are any lawyers left at Wombles.
Why would you stay? No other options?
34
0
… but their CMO was really excited to launch this campaign according to his LinkedIn post - apparently their lawyers’ diverse experiences “come together to give us a point of view like no other”. Surely our poor sub postmasters can agree with that?
39
0
This is genius marketing. It really captures the essence of the firm…a lot of two-faced, duplicitous ****s.
24
0
1215. yes he is clueless. The Wombles seem to be very proud of their legal gymnastists to prevent the sub postmasters getting justice. So sickening. They have no compassion and no clue. Is that what clients are looking for ?
28
1
Given Wombles have money to waste on this nonsense when will you be repaying the £60 million to taxpayers and setting up a charity to help subpostmasters and their families?
31
1
@13.22 - if only. There’s nothing left. All the money has gone on Jonny’s Porsche service (nothing left for socks sadly, so the sockless (sackless?) loafer look will be back for SS ‘24), an abacus and some peanuts for Nick, some stilts for Paul, Julian’s platinum golf club membership, a paddock for the Wildebeest, a hockey stick for that planning chap, a personality and ability transplant for [x] (doesn't seem to have worked) and other assorted essentials, such as this amazing marketing campaign.
Oh, and a big fat bonus for relevant partner to spaff on who knows what.
19
1
Oh dear. I can't imagine any sane marketing professional would recommend this concept to the leadership team. Makes me wonder who exactly was driving this one.
18
0
I think it is really offensive to those people with facial disability either through nativity or trauma.
21
1
Are some in disguise in case the sub-postmasters or the police come looking?
26
0
Has Great Uncle B run out of money to pay whoever it was who used to come on here to bleat unconvincingly in defence of the Wombles’ work?
30
1
Wombles were certainly looking the other way when decency and humanity and competence came knocking
23
1
from inquiry today Witness Statements editing to remove the known bugs in prosecutions. Hope Wombles not involved in this as that will be the end of them. Still Simon Andy Jonny Paul you all had your big big bonuses points and promotions so not all bad .
22
0
I predict Wombles will go the same way as Halliwells. Down the shitter quicker than you can say ‘justice for postmasters’. Let’s hope so anyway.
10
0
Is this really an “Exclusive”?! You must be desperate to come up with content….
11
0
Dentons have got photos of waves on their website. Will there be an exclusive story on this at some point?
21
0
Looking forward to when Simon and Andy the client partner and solicitor with conduct are giving evidence. Hope they get asked what performance bonuses they got based on post office revenue. And wether that affected their judgement. Also hope government stops royal mail paying Wombles to defend its self at inquiry. Some Womble partners find that particularly hilarious and it is sickening to watch for us decent folk who want nothing to do with this disgrace.
12
0
When lawyers try to be groovy. Like my dad’s attempts to dance. Can these fools see themselves?
22
0
very concerning testimony from CEO Fujitsu today that Horizon issues known from start and evidence taken out of their witness statements . SRA.
20
1
Let that sink in again. The CEO of Fujitsu has given evidence to the Horizon Inquiry that witness statements produced by Fujitsu employees highlighted Horizon IT issues from the start. BUT for court proceedings these references were removed. Very serious. SRA and Sir Wyn need to get to bottom of this.
12
1
J must be thrilled that the other scandal at wombles has overshadowed his.
14
0
So is the tagline. We look the other way, whilst the biggest miscarriages of justice in the Uk legal history goes on, and pocket £60m in the process.
I think they have nailed it.
16
1
The Inquiry documents right at beginning of PO action in Castleton case Mr Dilley was coping in to correspondence the firm's internal "cock up" partner. This would only happen where a potential claim against the firm was notified or capable of being notified. Why did he do that ?
19
1
The SRA ought to be investigating Wombles and Herbies.
13
0
Anyone fancy knocking up a postman pat version?
16
1
Wombles are beyond mediocre. They have no flair or imagination. I guess they were just following orders. In another lifetime they would be closing the oven door. It makes me sick when I think of the promotions and bonuses paid on the back of Horizon. This latest PR effort is riseable.