Big ad agencies find it tough to attract, keep young talent

New York

AT THE headquarters of the McCann agency in New York City, the battle for the future of the advertising industry is being waged with piped-in electronic music and employee-brewed beer.

Young professionals, balancing Apple laptops on their knees, drape themselves over space-age chairs near a cafe that sells fresh juice and subsidised snacks. On one floor, walls are covered by plants, making the office look more like a jungle. Elsewhere is a ping-pong table.

The young and the creative have been the engine that drove the advertising industry for decades. But those who once flocked to the business with dreams of making the next standout television commercial are no longer draw…