Most of the staff at the leading advertising agency Metro Production quit in protest after its director said he produced a video for the ruling Georgian Dream electoral campaign. According to him, the GD campaign ad was filmed with the freelance participation of the company’s several employees, but they said that they did not know that the video was intended for the ruling party’s election campaign. Instead, they were told it was being filmed to promote tourism in the coastal city of Batumi, according to reports that surfaced in the media.
On October 10, a day after the ruling party published its new campaign ad, Nika Bochorishvili, the director of Metro Production, uploaded the video to his personal Facebook page. “This video clip was filmed under my direction with an invited group of freelancers,” he wrote. His post immediately sparked widespread discontent, which was reflected in the comments. Some employees, angry that they were involved in the filming as freelancers without knowing its true purpose, announced their resignations directly in the comments.
The video is notable for its upbeat and positive tone, which contrasts sharply with GD’s other, negative-toned ads. It shows a giant Georgian flag floating through the various locations of the country while promoting themes of peace, dignity, prosperity, and love. The video also features the faces of ordinary people, including children. However, it remains unclear whether they were aware of the video’s true purpose or whether they too were deceived.
“It is sad that in a company where I have worked for four years, a project has been made about which we knew nothing. If I had known, I would have made this decision easier and quicker,” wrote Sandro Javakhishvili, one of the agency’s employees, on social media, announcing his resignation.
Another staff member, senior art director Sali Nikolaishvili, also posted on Facebook that she had quit, although she did not specify why. However, it appears to be for the same reason. Creative director Eka Kipiani has also left the agency, along with several other staff members. Reports suggest that the walkout was substantial.