Advertising Age - Agency News

Crocs Moves Global Business to Cramer-Krasselt

jmullman@adage.com(Jeremy Mullman) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:11:01 -0500

CHICAGO (AdAge.com) -- Crocs has shifted its global creative, media, digital and PR business to Cramer-Krasselt, Chicago, following a review. Independent C-K bested two of its Chicago neighbors, incumbent TimeZoneOne and Publicis Groupe's Leo Burnett, in the pitch for the marketing account. Crocs spent about $12 million on measured media in the U.S. last year.

Last Decade a Tumultuous One for Chrysler and BBDO

rparekh@adage.com(Rupal Parekh) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Last week's announcement that BBDO would shutter its Motor City office dealt a devastating blow to the nearly 500 employees that for years serviced Chrysler's marketing needs, and also signaled the end of a decades-long, storied marriage between the carmaker and BBDO. Here we'll take you through the highs and lows over the past 10 years of one of adland's most-watched relationships: BBDO and Chrysler.

Publicis Merges PR Operations Into One Unit Under MS&L Banner

mbush@adage.com(Michael Bush) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) --Maurice Levy is combining all of Publicis's public affairs, financial communications, events and specialized firms into one network in the hopes of shaking up the world order and creating a new global player under the MS&L Group banner

Does the Industry Need Big Digital Agencies Anymore?

kpatel@adage.com(Kunur Patel) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- When Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. dumped Digitas, Tribal DDB and Agency.com for a trio of smaller, production-centric digital shops last week, it did more than deal a setback to three global interactive agency networks. It raised the question of whether big digital agencies are being outflanked by leaner, faster, more-creative shops.

Belvedere Hands Account to Arnell in Bid to 'Broaden Audience'

jmullman@adage.com(Jeremy Mullman) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:58:01 -0500

CHICAGO (AdAge.com) -- Belvedere Vodka, owned by luxury conglomerate LVMH, is the latest in a growing line of spirits brands to look for a new agency and fresh messaging amid a recession that has jolted the image-obsessed category. The premium vodka brand has shifted its creative-advertising account to Arnell Group.

Ikea Sticks With Mediaedge:cia for Planning, Buying in U.S.

mbush@adage.com(Michael Bush) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:50:56 -0500

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- WPP's Mediaedge:cia has retained traditional and digital media-planning and -buying duties in the U.S. for Ikea as part of the retailer's global media review, beating out independent Horizon Media, according to the marketer. The account is worth nearly $90 million.

Wrigley Drops Tribal DDB, Digitas and Agency.com for Digital

kpatel@adage.com(Kunur Patel) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:21:32 -0500

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Wrigley is yanking digital agency-of-record duties from Tribal DDB, Digitas and Agency.com and shifting to a creative shootout strategy between a roster of agencies including independents Big Spaceship and Firstborn and Omnicom majority-owned EVB, according to executives familiar with the matter.

GM Moves Digital Duties to MRM From Digitas' Prodigious Unit

kpatel@adage.com(Kunur Patel) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:45:47 -0500

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- General Motors is moving its U.S. digital production duties to MRM Worldwide's MRM Supply from the Digitas-owned production shop Prodigious Worldwide, as part of a cost-savings effort by the carmaker. The five-year deal is worth $100 million in billings, according to executives familiar with the matter.

Pepsi Shakes Up Digital Advertising Roster

kpatel@adage.com(Kunur Patel) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:18:04 -0500

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- PepsiCo is making some major changes to its digital-advertising roster, and its traditional agency partners on beverage brands are conspicuously absent.

Euro Replaces Digitas as IBM's Global Digital Agency

rparekh@adage.com(Rupal Parekh) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:06:44 -0500

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- IBM is shifting global digital duties on its $1.25 billion ad account to Havas' Euro RSCG from Publicis Groupe's Digitas, the tech giant's lead digital agency for more than a decade.

BBDO Signals End to Chrysler Relationship, Its Detroit Office

rparekh@adage.com(Rupal Parekh) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:51:32 -0500

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- In a sign that the end of Chrysler's relationship with BBDO is near, executives familiar with the situation said BBDO's Detroit office will close its doors in January, leaving the fate of its remaining 485 employees up in the air.

New Insurance Policies Help Agencies Control Ad-Production Costs

rparekh@adage.com(Rupal Parekh) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 07:35:20 -0500

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Dianne Richter, an ad agency veteran who's clocked time in the broadcast departments of shops such as JWT, Y&R and Saatchi & Saatchi, found herself on a nightmare of a commercial shoot a few years ago. While driving to location, police had blocked the production team's route for several hours after a suicide jumper perched himself on a bridge. Quick thinking saved the commercial, but those last-minute changes came at a steep cost to the client. Now broader protections for shoots are being offered under recent changes in the U.S. insurance market.

Hyundai-Kia Taps Havas' MPG for International Media Duties

mbush@adage.com(Michael Bush) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:04:22 -0500

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Hyundai-Kia has awarded a big chunk of international media buying business to Havas' MPG, according to executives with knowledge of the review.

McCann Out of Running for Cadillac Account

jhalliday@adage.com(Jean Halliday) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:32:56 -0500

DETROIT (AdAge.com) -- Cadillac has narrowed the list of agencies in the hunt for its national creative account, and McCann Erickson has not made the cut.

Ikea Begins Creative Review to Integrate General Market With Hispanic

nzmuda@adage.com(Natalie Zmuda) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:20:51 -0500

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Swedish furniture retailer Ikea, nearing completion of a media agency review, is now examining its creative roster of U.S. agencies in what it calls a move towards "integration of general market and Hispanic creative."

Panasonic Calls Review for $40 Million Advertising Account

rparekh@adage.com(Rupal Parekh) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:33:48 -0500

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Embattled electronics marketer Panasonic is reviewing U.S. ad duties on its estimated $40 million account, currently handled by Kirshenbaum Bond Senecal & Partners in New York, executives familiar with the matter said.

Holiday Inn Puts Global Advertising Account Into Review

rparekh@adage.com(Rupal Parekh) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:36:37 -0500

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Holiday Inn is conducting a review of its global creative advertising account, and four networks will make final presentations in a bid for the hotel chain's business next month, executives familiar with the matter said. They are: Omnicom Group's DDB; WPP's JWT; Publicis Groupe's Saatchi-Fallon Group; and Interpublic Group of Cos.' McCann Erickson.

Kellogg Consolidation Hands Major Brand-Building Work to Burnett

jmullman@adage.com(Jeremy Mullman) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:48:00 -0500

CHICAGO (AdAge.com) -- Kellogg Co. has trimmed the global agency roster on its $1 billion account, consolidating "brand building" under Publicis Groupe's Leo Burnett in North America, Europe and Latin America.

Carlson Marketing Sold to Groupe Aeroplan for $175 Million

jmullman@adage.com(Jeremy Mullman) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:46:29 -0500

CHICAGO (AdAge.com) -- Minneapolis marketing-services giant Carlson Marketing has been sold to Montreal-based Groupe Aeroplan, merging the two top global companies in the loyalty-marketing category.

In-house and Outsourced Aren't the Only Options for Your Clients

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:05:44 -0500

We didn't want to stand by and watch our clients take their retail-focused work in-house, nor was it in their best interest for us to try to force-fit it into our standard agency model. So, a few years ago, we created a second model, one we call the "in-house outsource," or studio model.

New Pepsi 'Dewmocracy' Push Threatens to Crowd Out Shops

nzmuda@adage.com(Natalie Zmuda) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- The trend of marketers relying on the wisdom of crowds to create marketing campaigns is escalating as PepsiCo turns over the choice of agencies for three product launches to the masses, ramping up the potential threat to ad shops bypassed or relegated to a supporting role in implementing the resulting efforts.

Where's the Shop? Cliff Freeman Slips Into History Books

kpatel@adage.com(Kunur Patel) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- For a one-time creative hotbed that ought to get a mention in any history of TV advertising, the demise of Cliff Freeman & Partners will have sadly little effect on the much-changed marketing business of today -- aside from the emotional impact of many who say they owe their careers to the place.

Power Shifting at IPG as McCann's Domination Wanes

rparekh@adage.com(Rupal Parekh) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- McCann Worldgroup accounts for around 40% of Interpublic's revenue -- as goes McCann so goes IPG, is an oft-used maxim on Madison Avenue -- and it's even been said that the real power at IPG lies with the CEO of that agency rather than the holding company. But that's changing.

WPP: 'Armageddon' Averted as Ad Company Hits Optimistic Notes

mbush@adage.com(Michael Bush) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:09:39 -0400

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Noting that consumer and corporate confidence has "somewhat" recovered from the "panic levels" they hit at the end of 2008 and the beginning of this year, WPP, the world's biggest advertising company said its third-quarter revenue dropped 8.7%, to $3.3 billion, compared to the year-ago period.

Duncan Milner Ascends at TBWA/Media Arts Lab

kpatel@adage.com(Kunur Patel) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:22:26 -0400

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Lee Clow has stepped down as chief creative officer of TBWA/Media Arts Lab, which has handled TBWA's longtime client Apple. At 66, Mr. Clow is relinquishing the creative lead on an account that has distinguished his storied career.

How Martin Is Helping Microsoft Battle Apple on the Retail Front

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:12:17 -0400

DALLAS (AdAge.com) -- Microsoft's ambitious retail-store rollout is officially under way, and Richmond, Va.-based Martin Agency is helping the company gain equal retail footing with rival Apple.

Dad's Gone, but the Jingles Survive

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 08:00:00 -0400

Bill Blackshaw, my father, was one of the original Mad Men, and he logged more than 30 years in the industry, starting at BBBO. He was not nearly as suave as Don Draper, or as slick or fast-talking as Duck Phillips, and miles apart from the pompous elitism of Pete Campbell. But trust me, he was one of them.

Two Months After Joining Kirshenbaum, Lori Senecal Lands a New Account

kpatel@adage.com(Kunur Patel) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:32:14 -0400

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Investment management company Vanguard has moved its $50 million U.S. account to Kirshenbaum Bond Senecal & Partners from incumbent Y&R Brands. Its the first win for new President-CEO Lori Senecal, who joined in August from McCann Erickson.

Interpublic Reports Net Loss of $35.8 Million in First Nine Months

rparekh@adage.com(Rupal Parekh) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:07:00 -0400

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Interpublic Group of Cos. swung to a net loss of $35.8 million for the first nine months of 2009, from $56.7 million in profit in the same period a year ago.

As Publicis' Organic Growth Falls Just 7.4%, Levy Sees 'Slow' Upturn

kpatel@adage.com(Kunur Patel) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:38:33 -0400

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Publicis Groupe's organic growth was down 7.4% in the third quarter, but that still was better than the 8.6% decline posted in the previous quarter. And that prompted Chairman-CEO Maurice Levy to declare the beginning of a "slow and progressive" upturn for the ad market.