The Chicago office will be closed and merged with the New York office in a move that is expected to see some 40 staff either lose their jobs or move to other Publicis or Bcom3 agencies, following the merger between the two companies on September 20.
It will see the billings of the New York office increase by two-thirds. Staff numbers will increase from 275 to 300, and accounts that will shift include Whirlpool and American Trans Air.
The move comes despite last week's big account win of three Allied Domecq brands: coffee liqueur Kahlua, Beefeater gin and Stolichnaya vodka.
Publicis chairman and CEO Maurice Levy had warned that some jobs might go in the wake of the merger, but had said these would be at holding company level.
According to reports, the merging of the Chicago and New York offices was not only because of the Bcom3 deal, but it was an influence.
Publicis New York's chairman and chief executive Doug McMahon is leaving the company and will be replaced by Barry Krause, currently chairman and chief executive of Publicis in Chicago.
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