- Andrew McMains

NEW YORK Hyatt Hotels has selected five finalists to compete for global brand image duties following Hyatt's split with Euro RSCG last month, the client has confirmed.

A company representative declined to name the agencies, but sources identified them as Interpublic Group's The Martin Agency in Richmond, Va., Omnicom Group's BBDO in New York, Publicis Groupe-backed Bartle Bogle Hegarty in New York, Omnicom's Cutwater in San Francisco and Publicis Groupe's Publicis & Hal Riney in San Francisco.

The contenders emerged from field of some 10 shops that Hyatt marketing executives visited last month. Hyatt has distributed a briefing document to the shops and will answer questions from them next week, said sources.

Final presentations are slated for late July. Select Resources International in Santa Monica, Calif., is managing the search.

Among the key decision makers in the review are global CMO Tom O'Toole and svp of brand communication Amy Curtis-McIntyre, who joined the hotelier in May. Earlier in her career, Curtis-McIntyre was vp of marketing at JetBlue. Before Hyatt, she was a consultant and guest lecturer at universities and corporations.

The review is focused on the Hyatt's master brand and does not include the sub-brands Hyatt Place and Hyatt Summerfield Suites, which independent Cramer-Krasselt in Chicago continues to handle, according to the client rep.

Havas' Euro RSCG here worked for Hyatt just nine months, before confirming the spit in early June. When Euro landed its global Hyatt business, billings were estimated at $40 million.