15-hour work days, nonstop pitching: 9 current and former staffers at advertising companies like WPP and Publicis share stories of pandemic burnout

• Advertising employees detailed their stories about pandemic burnout.
• Some said they’re pitching nonstop to win new business and are afraid to push back for fear of losing their jobs.
• Nine current and former employees at companies like WPP and Publicis detailed what work is like now.

Ad agency workloads have increased during the pandemic, leading some to work up to 75 hours a week and others to burn out and leave the industry, ad pros told Insider.

When the pandemic hit, many marketers shifted messaging, leaving agencies to have to deliver digital ads in days and hours.

Even after the crisis subsided, some agency employees said, clients have come to expect quicker response times and tighter turnarounds on deadlines.