Officespotter

 While photos of DDB’s office have surface on the internet before, we never really felt that the photos or writings were trying to accurately depict the mood of the office. So, here is a supplement:

The location is the meeting point of Városligeti fasor and Felvonulási tér 56-osok tere, on the third floor of an interesting, monumentally protected building from the 50s. Along one side of the office run ground-to-ceiling windows, allowing for enough natural light to reach the workstations. The office is basically a long corridor, with open space areas on one side, and closed off rooms on the other.

The reception desk, as at Grey’s offices, is in fact a bar, although much larger, and it has a more central role – the reason being that the office is transformed at 6 o’clock, and becomes somewhat of a club.

The steps taken to ensure a likeable office environment seem effective. We were shown around by Andrea Molnár HR advisor, and Judit Kis office manager. They weren’t stingy with their time, and sat us down in one of the meeting rooms to talk about the mood of the office, their main clients, the company, trips taken together and the first K-9 visitors.

DDB is one of the legendary companies in Budapest where employees can bring their dogs to work. At the time of our visit, there was only one dog present, and he growled at us when we tried following it for some photos. It seems this one takes care of security in the office, and wasn’t the DDB PR dog we were hoping for.

DDB began its Hungarian operations in 1991, and since McDonald’s is a global contact, they immediately had their first client as well. Thanks to this, the office was full of discount coupons of all sorts, as well as a variety of hamburger advertisements.

In contrast with modern corporate structure, management sits far away from the employees, although when you think about it, within the walls of an advertisement company management’s and the creatives’ tasks don’t really overlap too often.

From a design perspective, the real work areas are secluded nicely from the areas a client can see. While the reception and meeting rooms are all about tidiness, creativity and professionalism, the work areas lack in nice furniture or transparency. For these latter areas, the word ‘informal’ would apply, as these areas are chock full of personal items and possessions.

Without a doubt, this office falls under within the friendly category. As guests, we received the adequate amount of attention and help. Despite its size, one can easily tell the company is like one big family. For instance, the employees go on excursions at least once a year, and they put in the effort to make the place seem like a second home. Lots of smiles and curious questions equates to an A+ in hospitality for DDB. Thank you for having us.

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