- David Gianatasio

BOSTON New Balance said it has hired independent Mother in New York as its lead global agency for creative and media on its lifestyle advertising, though Omnicom Group's BBDO -- brought aboard last year following a review -- continues to handle the brand's athletic performance efforts.

Omnicom's PHD will still handle media buying and planning on the performance work.

The company in Boston has upped spending of late, with a measured-media outlay of $20 million through July 2008 after spending $15 million on ads all of last year, per Nielsen Monitor-Plus.

In a related move, New Balance has hired two creative directors, Savania Davies-Keiller and Roberto Crivello, founders and designers at fashion brand DDC Lab, as in-house cds. Their mission is to set the overall creative direction for the sneaker brand's lifestyle category moving forward, the company said.

The pair worked on designs for New Balance sneakers this fall, and they will now help create products for global distribution using innovative fabrics and technologies.

Joe Casagrande, gm, New Balance Lifestyle, said: "The amplified role of two talented creative directors, complemented by the innovation and insight Mother brings to the table, helps position New Balance as a brand that is serious about having a significant presence in the global lifestyle market."