An advertising executive hired a clown to sit in on his redundancy meeting - and would now recommend it to others.
Joshua Jack suspected he was to receive bad news when bosses at advertising giant FCB arranged a meeting last week.
He splashed out around £105 (approximately $200 New Zealand Dollars) on Joe the clown, rather than having a friend, union officer or colleague by his side for the showdown - the usual practice.
And, though he lost his job in Auckland, New Zealand, Joshua "saw the humorous side" as the clown mimed crying, made balloon animals and pulled faces at the table.
"They were getting a free service and also getting the entertainment from Joe the clown," Joshua said.
"He was $200 so basically he was, I assume, one of the best clowns in Auckland.
"I definitely recommend bringing Joe or another clown. Highly recommended."
But Joshua, who has reportedly found new work in the industry already, admitted his comic sidekick did distract his employers somewhat.
"It was sort of noisy, him making balloon animals, so we did have to tell him to be quiet from time to time," the professional continued.
FCB, though, said it has a policy of not commenting on individual employment matters out of respect for those involved.
But in an email seen by New Zealand Herald , a spokesman did say it was one of "the weirdest stories" she had ever been contacted about.
FCB, or Foote, Cone & Belding to give its full title, is one of the largest global advertising agency networks.
It employs more than 8,000 people across 90 countries.
The company was formed in 1873 in Chicago, US, where its headquarters remain.
