TBWA\Chiat\Day is the American division of the advertising agency TBWA Worldwide. Created in the 1993 merger of TBWA and Chiat\Day, the agency operates offices in Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, Nashville, and Toronto. Prior to the merger, Chiat/Day created internationally notable advertising, including "1984" for Apple Computer, Inc. that introduced the Macintosh computer.
TBWA Worldwide is part of the global marketing group Omnicom, with a reputation for more quirky or "disruptive" work. The youngest network in the group's portfolio, TBWA expanded rapidly in the final years of the 1990s and is a competitor to BBDO and DDB. A significant step came in 1998 when the agency absorbed Anglo-French marketing network GGT BDDP.
Controversy
The New York office of TBWA\Chiat\Day produced a series of television commercials some perceived as homophobic for client Mars, Inc. and its Snickers candy brand. Originally, the commercials were intended to air during sporting events in February 2007, including Super Bowl XLI and the Daytona 500, but were subsequently pulled due to the accusations and controversy over the one that did air. The one shown during the Super Bowl caused many to accuse Mars of being homophobic and anti-gay. The Super Bowl commercial showed two male auto mechanics who, after an "accidental" kiss while eating opposite ends of the candy bar, said, "Quick, do something manly," and ripped out their chest hair. An alternate ending to the ad on the Snickers web site showed one mechanic beating another with a giant wrench.