- David Gianatasio

BOSTON Burger King has selected Omnicom Group's LatinWorks in Austin, Texas, as its lead U.S. Hispanic creative agency following a review, BK said today.

In addition, Tapestry in Chicago, part of the Starcom MediaVest Group of shops and ultimately a unit of Publicis Groupe, was chosen for media chores.

The shops succeed Bromley Communications in San Antonio, Texas, a Publicis agency, on the BK business. Bromley had handled both creative and media.

Estimated domestic annual BK Hispanic ad spending is $30-40 million.

"We were looking for an agency that understands the power of the Burger King brand and equally important, how to effectively communicate with diverse Hispanic audiences," said Cindy Syracuse, senior director, cultural marketing, BK.

New work is now in development and is expected to break early this year.

Crispin Porter + Bogusky in Miami, a unit of MDC Partners, serves as lead agency for BK's English-language creative. Of late, Crispin has fashioned high-profile and at times controversial efforts, such as the Whopper Virgins and Whopper Sacrifice initiatives.

Losing BK will be somewhat less painful for Bromley, as the agency has been awarded a significant assignment by Western Union.