Welcome to our 25th annual Agency Report Cards, in which we assess the performance of creative agencies across the country. As always, we aim to fairly and accurately reflect the year that was. This is no small undertaking since we spend months researching, reel watching, writing, editing and debating. It's not a perfect science, but we believe it's a comprehensive report packed with lots of data, information and analysis that readers will find valuable, informative and thought provoking.

Each card focuses on the U.S. performance of a particular agency, with regional highlights (from local offices) included for national agencies and global highlights for multinationals. Since we grade on a curve, we begin by determining an average revenue gain for the group. This year, the average gain for the 35 shops we evaluated was 7.6 percent, just a hair more than the 2006 average of 7.5 percent. (2005's average, coincidentally, also was 7.5 percent, down from 7.7 percent in 2004.) By comparison, the average revenue growth among the 14 media agencies we assessed was 14 percent.

The second most important factor in determining the numbers grade is revenue per employee. (This year's average: $286,000.) Since more than half of all revenue is used to cover staffing and related expenses, we use this data point as a rough proxy for profitability. We then assign a rank for the absolute increase in revenue for the year. This permits us to control for the fact that it's tougher for a large agency -- our largest this year was BBDO, at a revenue base of $773 million -- to post spectacular percentage gains. It also recognizes that a growth spurt at a relatively small shop -- our smallest, Bartle Bogle Hegarty, had revenue of $43 million -- may be modest in the grand scheme of things. Finally, we look at each company's ability to convert a dollar of client spending into a nickel or dime of agency revenue, via a billings-to-revenue ratio.

To determine creative grades, like most award shows, we judge work based on creativity, originality, positioning and strategy. We do not gauge effectiveness. And, as in previous years, we looked at nontraditional and integrated campaigns as well as TV spots and print ads. Generally speaking, the management grade reflects a combination of the other two grades.

As always, we welcome your feedback -- in print, in person or online.

ARNOLD: B

BBDO: B+

BBH: B+

CAMPBELL-EWALD: C-

CAMPBELL MITHUN: D

CARMICHAEL LYNCH: C

CRAMER-KRASSELT: B

CRISPIN PORTER + BOGUSKY: B+

DDB: B-

DEUTSCH: B

DONER: D

DRAFTFCB: C

EURO RSCG: B

FALLON: C-

GOODBY, SILVERSTEIN & PARTNERS: A-

GREY: C+

GSD&M IDEA CITY: D+

HILL, HOLLIDAY, CONNORS, COSMOPULOS: B+

JWT: C+

THE KAPLAN THALER GROUP: B

LEO BURNETT: C-

LOWE: D+

THE MARTIN AGENCY: B+

MCCANN ERICKSON: B+

MERKLEY + PARTNERS: B-

MULLEN: B-

OGILVY & MATHER: C+

PUBLICIS & HAL RINEY: C+

PUBLICIS USA: A-

THE RICHARDS GROUP: C

SAATCHI & SAATCHI: A-

TBWA\CHIAT\DAY: B-

WIEDEN + KENNEDY: B

Y&R: C+

ZIMMERMAN: B-

ARNOLD

NUMBERS B
Billings and revenue up 9% to $2.86 billion and $255 million, respectively. Won global Volvo ($200 million, though it shares account with Nitro); First Marblehead ($50 million); Purina ($30 million); Pearle Vision ($20 million); Bahamas Tourism ($10 million); plus Timex, Activision, Wyeth and AHIP (each in the $1 million-$5 million range). CareFirst and Talbots, each worth about $10 million, left. Ocean Spray spend rose 15% to almost $45 million. American Legacy rose 10% to about $35 million after several years of steep cuts. Tyson slashed ad spend some 30% to $40 million. RadioShack trimmed spending almost 25% to about $120 million.

CREATIVE B+
On-target work across various media for a range of clients. Award-winning "Singing Cowboy" for American Legacy ("You don't always die from tobacco," he croons, an enhancement device pressed to a hole in his throat) is one of the more memorable commercials of the past year. Amusing RadioShack spot with an uber-messy dude cleaning up his act and consolidating his vinyl record collection to save his relationship illustrates why we should "Go digital." Music is also star of "Wheels" for Volvo, with a reworked version of kids' song "The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round" making key points about vehicle features. A Pinnacle clip with an ice cream guy dispensing advice about golf balls, however, tries too hard to be offbeat, ends up feeling creepy. Legitimately offbeat and well-edited McDonald's spot culled from YouTube footage stands up to repeated viewing, creates a hankering for McNuggets. Posters/print for Amtrak's Acela show sharp use of simple color schemes and retro-future stylized trains. Jack Daniels holiday billboard "torn away" like an excitedly opened gift is spot-on. Reese's ad showing big candy photo asks, "Is sex better than chocolate and peanut butter?" and makes a good point. Ugly Progressive print likening vehicles to dog breeds makes little sense and is a rare misfire. Integrated efforts for ESPN Fantasy Baseball's "Rock Opera" (with real sandlot stars and sportswriters rockin' out) and Legacy (star images, quick cuts, jarring dissolves) show agency's ability to translate the best aspects of its 30-second spots to longer forms.

MANAGEMENT B
After two years of smarting from VW defection, returned to auto category with Volvo and reversed a -8% revenue performance in 2006 to +8% in 2007. Pete Favat settled in during his first full year at the helm of the HQ creative department, which produced some of its best work since Arnold's VW glory days in the late 1990s. CEO Fran Kelly runs things day-to-day as CEO. Went 13-6 in competitive pitches. Among the misses were CareerBuilder.com, Hyundai and NYC Tourism. Added to digital services with key hires Jonathan Sackett (chief digital officer) and Azher Ahmed (svp, digital) from DraftFCB.

REGIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
Added Bahamas in McLean, Va., and successfully defended Jacksonville Electric Authority and Amtrak. New York added Alli weight-loss launch assignment from GSK.

COMMENTS
Havas-owned agency needs to break out of "quiet" mode and reassert itself as a force on creative landscape. The work's good enough, but new-business focus could be sharper. Ended 2007 on a down note as 10-year client Royal Caribbean ($90 million) shifted to JWT, but starts 2008 as a contender for Carnival's $70 million-plus business.

FINAL GRADE: B

BBDO

NUMBERS B+
Billings, revenue up 12% to $5.57 billion and $773 million, respectively. Won Monster.com ($300 million), Best Buy ($200 million), J&J's Splenda, Stayfree and Monistat ($75 million), Hertz ($30 million), Brinker's Macaroni Grill and On The Border ($20 million), New Balance ($20 million). Added business from existing clients AT&T ($650 million, named lead agency after acquisition of BellSouth), PepsiCo.'s Diet Pepsi Max, Starbucks Coffee Partnership and Ethos water ($75 million), Motorola b-to-b ($40 million), Mars WholeMeals ($25 million), Wrigley's Altoids and 5 Gum ($20 million each), P&G's Braun ($20 million), Bayer Diabetes Care ($20 million), Flat Earth ($12 million), Sun Chips ($10 million) and Beam Global Spirits & Wines' Canadian Club ($5 million). Lost Jeep ($170 million), Oral-B ($100 million), Frito-Lay's Lay's, Cheetos ($65 million). Resigned E*Trade ($180 million), Dell ($150 million) due to conflicts with BofA, Best Buy, respectively.

CREATIVE A-
GE spot in which boy bottles wind and blows out his grandpa's birthday candles is a feel good, cinematic vehicle for wind energy message. Entertaining eBay spot borrows from foxhunting to focus on what's fun about the brand: the thrill of the chase. Funny AT&T spot in which a dropped call makes deli owner think he's insulted a supplier makes memorable competitive point. Pepsi spot showing guy riding giant logo through San Francisco is all about visual effects, not brand. Milky Way print emphasizes the stretch of the chewy caramel, a grabbing visual reminder of what's best about the candy. HBO's "Voyeur" is sophisticated, intricate story of residents of a New York building as told by outdoor screenings and rich Web site. M&M's spot sends viewers online to turn their uploaded portraits into the candy characters.

MANAGEMENT B+
Worldwide president, CEO Andrew Robertson and David Lubars, North American chairman, CCO, led agency to double-digit revenue growth and 24 wins out of 30 U.S. new business pitches. More than made up for losses and forfeits with new client business, additional assignments from J&J, PepsiCo, P&G and Mars. Set up an in-house design unit, DesignWorks, instrumental to New Balance win.

GLOBAL HIGHLIGHTS
Network's worldwide revenue grew 13% to $2.29 billion. Global wins include Monster.com; New Balance; J&J brands Splenda, Stayfree and Monistat; Wrigley's oral care and freshening brands; and Bayer's Diabetes Care business. Other wins include Mercedes in 19 countries; 7Up in India; Vodafone in New Zealand; Bird's Eye, Heinz, Clarks footwear in U.K.; Watsons in 11 markets in Asia; Mabe in Mexico, Central America and the Andes; Visa Olympic activation assignment.

REGIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
N.Y. CCO Bill Bruce promoted to chairman. Jon Soto joined BBDO West as ecd, from Publicis & Hal Riney. Christopher Davis joined Atlanta as ecd, from True Agency, L.A. Chicago added Brinker, Chicago White Sox, Beam's Canadian Club and Wrigley's 5 Gum and Altoids in global realignment. West added WholeMeals.

COMMENTS
Omnicom agency is transforming its TV-centric reputation with innovative solutions for clients such as HBO, but is experiencing third straight year of account trouble in the second quarter. BBDO West last month declined to defend creative duties on Mitsubishi's estimated $190 million account. But this month HP delivered estimated $200 million overseas imaging, printing business.

FINAL GRADE: B+

BARTLE BOGLE HEGARTY

NUMBERS B+
Billings flat at $515 million. Revenue up 30% to $43 million. Won global LG Electronics ($70 million in the U.S.) and Miller Lite ($165 million). December LG win arrived too late to impact revenue. Lost Dyson in December ($50 million). Shop showed highest percentage revenue increase in the field, but it comes off smallest base, tempering grade.

CREATIVE A-
First work for Miller Lite takes a powerful, direct shot at Bud Light with spot that makes traitor out of a Dalmation -- a breed that has appeared in many Anheuser-Busch spots over the years -- when, stopped at a light, he leaps out of horse-drawn Bud wagon and into a Miller Lite truck. Agency made clever, cost-effective use of interactive with Mentos Web site starring "Trevor the Intern." Users watch intern -- sort of a live "Subservient Chicken" -- throughout his day at office and ask him to perform tasks or tricks that tickle their fancy (e.g., doing the robot). Axe's humorous "Bom chicka wah wah" spot uses recognizable (porn) music to demonstrate how irresistibly alluring the product is to women. New York City tourism commercials give well-worn images of Big Apple and its tourist spots colorful boost with lively animation. Vaseline outdoor and print bare all to create beautiful tapestry of skin. Johnny Walker Blue Label's arty, abstract print is unique, holding attention in Magic Eye type of way. Translates even better in film shorts from artists Warren du Preez and Nick Thornton Jones, used as art installations in bars.

MANAGEMENT B+
Under leadership of Gwyn Jones, 41, then-CEO of New York (who returned to his native London in December to take on larger global management role), BBH flexed creative firepower in U.S., beating Publicis sibling Saatchi & Saatchi and WPP's Young & Rubicam in high-profile pitch for Miller Brewing Co.'s flagship Miller Lite business. London-led pitch for global $350 million LG Electronics resulted in New York's resignation of $50 million Dyson account, a small hit for such a sizable win. For first time formed a board, with 22 members, comprised of senior management and department heads. Agency named Emma Cookson, former director of strategic planning, CEO in September in anticipation of Jones' return to London. Barney Robinson, promoted to head of account management, role held by Sarah Thompson, who transitions into new, not-yet-identified role. Ben Malbon from London moved to New York in August as director of account planning.

GLOBAL HIGHLIGHTS
Axe continues to be strong showcase account worldwide, with international "Bom chicka wah wah" campaign, spearheaded by New York, launching branded girl band. Similar tack taken in India, where agency created pop star "Silky Kumar." London won Axe's digital business, and BBH Asia-Pacific awarded Levi's Signature and Visa. BBH Shangai won FedEx and Pepsi. Next agency outpost, its seventh, expected to be in Mumbai in order to service Axe in India.

COMMENTS
The 25-year-old agency put new succession in place in January. While John Hegarty's position as worldwide cd remains unchanged, BBH named group COO Simon Sherwood, 53, CEO, succeeding Nigel Bogle, 61, who assumed group chairman role, and named Jones group COO.

FINAL GRADE: B+

CAMPBELL-EWALD

NUMBERS D-
Billings, revenue flat at $2.5 billion and $276 million, respectively. Won Olympic paints and stains ($5 million), Carhartt creative and mobile marketing ($1 million). Won projects for FDIC, Cintron, Meijer Healthy Living, McKesson Capital Group (under $5 million combined). L.A. office won Kaiser Permanente media ($45 million) in December. Lost Bissell ($5 million) and Janus ($5 million), just after winning it. National City Bank loss ($30 million) came too late to impact 2007 revenue. Organic growth, particularly in digital revenue (which climbed 30 percent over 2006), prevented down year from combined $200 million decline in Chevy and Navy's measured spending.

CREATIVE B-
Spots featuring Chevrolet lineup with regular folks singing songs referencing Chevy and Silverado heritage piece showing the same ranch over the years with new generations of vehicles and ranchers are smooth, proud Americana. Malibu relaunch works better in home page takeovers, innovative outdoor (an electronic sign held aloft during the World Series) than television ("The car you can't ignore"), where the premise of invisible cars simply isn't funny in spots where a jogger runs into a generic midsize car and cops run past bank robbers in getaway car. Kaiser Permanente spot with reformed hard-living, soda-drinking 5-year-old boy earns laughs, uplifts what could have been nagging healthy-lifestyle message. Languid, artsy Kaiser spot of photographer squeezing radiation treatment into her busy life associates the brand with the confidence of being insured. Urban-oriented Farmers HelpPoint spot showing people living like bums when displaced by a fire wisely avoids histrionics, unlike another Farmers spot featuring a man suffering from stolen-car anxiety -- and too many visual effects. Navy spot that finishes a montage of global heroics with a zoom out on the service ribbons of a seaman on a carrier deck, authentically stirs patriotic fervor. Best print shows a Navy land unit patrolling for an IED ("Do you have what it takes?"), as gutsy as ads get.

MANAGEMENT C-
Faced with ongoing financial problems at GM and the resulting drop in spending by key client Chevy, agency CEO Tony Hopp prioritized government-sector business and merged digital with publishing. Seeing a growing need for local media-buying in Los Angeles, Hopp hired Linda Solomon from Carat and added six staffers, mostly in L.A. The agency advanced its 15-person green-marketing unit, The Garden, which paid off in Chevy's "Less gas to gas free" campaign. Bolstered data analytics, upping director Janice Easton to evp. Added a social communications practice staffed with eight people to track blogging, yielding new clients such as Shire Pharmaceuticals.

REGIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
L.A. expanded its physical space and beefed up on creative and media for its expanding Farmers and Kaiser Permanente accounts, in time for the office to grow 30 percent in revenue. When account director Jim Klock retired, Jefferson Coombs from DDB partnered with L.A. ecd Debbie Karnowsky.

COMMENTS
Hopp is counting on The Next Engine digital strategy consultancy to increase that business further and on a wide range of nontraditional work to pay off. At press time, Navy contract up for grabs.

FINAL GRADE: C-

CAMPBELL MITHUN

NUMBERS F
Billings up 3% to 1.16 billion. Revenue declined 2% to $98 million from a restated $100 million to better reflect 2006 results. The big win was National City ($40 million). Johnsonville ($15 million) also came aboard, as did a print project from Wal-Mart (about $5 million), outsourced by the shop's IPG sibling The Martin Agency. Lost Verizon Wireless' Western region ($15-20 million) when the client consolidated all pieces of the account at IPG's Hill, Holliday, Connors, Cosmopulos and that shop's Erwin-Penland subsidiary. H&R Block cut ad spending 25% to $85 million, but The Hartford upped its outlay the same percentage to $35 million. Nature Valley's spend rose 20% to $15 million.

CREATIVE C-
CCO Jonathan Hoffman's crew took several steps backward, producing an oddly flat reel. Some spots play like unfunny Saturday Night Live lampoons of somebody else's ads. Spot with chubby guy in a sauna who doesn't sweat because H&R Block prepares his taxes is only slightly less appealing than a companion version about employees in a German restaurant discussing lederhosen deductions. Spider-Man-themed Burger King ad with a goofy father who dangles from a rope during a squirrel attack is mind-numbingly bad. Breyers ice cream spots try to be campy and playful but misfire. In one, two hot babes trade quips about a sexy pool boy; cut to a giant Breyers ice-cream churn cleaning the pool. In another, a husband comes home early to find his wife in bed enjoying a Breyers snack while the churn cowers behind a window curtain. (In each spot, the churn gives the best performance.) Print was just slightly better. Lovingly manicured golf courses for Toro mowers don't really shine because the art direction, though dramatic, is too dark. St. Ives Elements, however, displays crisp composition (text diagonally separated by an olive branch) and smart use of white space. An ad for The Hartford, alas, with a blurry stag against a muddy red background, a tiny parachutist (symbolizing an exciting retirement) and almost unreadable copy was the absolute nadir.

MANAGEMENT D
Dismal financial performance and sub-par creative set the stage for changes at the top. Steve Wehrenberg, a 25-year agency veteran, was promoted to CEO, after predecessor Jack Rooney resigned to become North American CEO of WPP's OgilvyAction and president of Ogilvy & Mather in Chicago. When Rooney arrived at Campbell Mithun in 2004, the agency was stagnant. During his tenure, he helped add The Hartford and National City, but momentum had slowed badly of late, with Campbell Mithun eking ahead 5% in each of the past two years and down this year.

REGIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
The shop's Irvine, Calif., outpost lost regional Verizon work, added Wal-Mart newspaper circular assignment.

COMMENTS
It was a year so quiet for this Minneapolis shop, you could almost hear the frosty tumbleweeds blowing down the street. Failed to convert in reviews for Georgia-Pacific and La-Z-Boy. Verizon was the only loss, but 2008 opened badly when Unilever moved its ice cream brands (Breyers, Popsicle, Klondike, Good Humor) to DDB. Consensus is Wehrenberg has yet to settle in and establish himself in top post.

FINAL GRADE: D

CARMICHAEL LYNCH

NUMBERS D-
Billings and revenue flat at $444 million and $60 million, respectively. Won: Subaru of America ($200 million), Bell Canoe Works, Redfeather Snowshoes and projects for Dunkin' Brands, BRP Evinrude engines and Toys R Us. Lost: Porsche ($25 million), A.G. Edwards ($20 million). October Subaru win came too late to boost revenue.

CREATIVE B+
Best known for strength in print, agency demonstrated strong showing in digital media. It beamed live video of Harley-Davidson motorcycle rally through banner ads and Google Gadget. Integrated campaign for Jack's Links -- "Feed your wild side," starring an odd Sasquatch character picked on by teens -- launched on YouTube and has large online following. Video greeting card with endearing Father's Day film created on AmericanGreetings.com chronicled life of seasoned boater and his memories on the water for Discover Boating and the National Marine Manufacturers Association. Created engagement-building effort, "The Arctic Quadrangle," for Redfeather Snowshoes that used Web site and custom maps distributed in sporting goods stores to encourage people to explore locations of paranormal events. Last work for Porsche launched new Cayenne with spot that slightly overdoes it. Showcasing brand's legacy ("the bloodlines are unmistakable"), it loses steam by featuring what feels like too many Porsche models returning the roar of new car's engine on a quiet night. Holiday Harley-Davidson ad introduces target-appropriate Santa clad in leather riding a Harley that leaves trail of fire. Harley print remains strong, trading on brand's bad-boy appeal with lines such as, "As close to heaven as some will ever come," which appears with image of motorcycle parked outside "Last Chance Saloon," and "A reading from the book of Holy Shit" emblazoned on bike's shiny chrome.

MANAGEMENT C
After losing creative review for Porsche, a brand that helped build its creative reputation since 1999, Minneapolis agency landed much larger car account, Subaru, in October. Win came without review courtesy of ex-Porsche client Tim Mahoney, svp, CMO, at Subaru of America. The agency won 7 out of 9 pitches it participated in last year, including $50 million Cellular One business that evaporated one day later when company was sold to AT&T. Operating without a CCO since Peter McHugh was nudged out in August 2006, John Colasanti, then president, recruited Mike Lescarbeau, a former Fallon cd who most recently was group cd at Ogilvy & Mather in New York, naming him president and CCO in May. Colasanti took on title of CEO, a role last held by co-founder Lee Lynch, who retired in 2005, and Lescarbeau joined leadership team of Colasanti and CFO/COO Mark Feriancek. Agency veteran copywriter Jim Nelson, who was shepherding creative department with Andy Clarke (a McHugh hire who left the shop last spring), continues in role as ecd. In November, agency reconfigured media department and renamed it Consumer Engagement to help foster its growing digital role.

COMMENTS
Thanks to $200 million Subaru account -- the largest new business win in the agency's history -- an energized management team and a concerted effort to bolster digital product, Carmichael Lynch is poised for larger national stage. And with agency's first Subaru branding campaign breaking soon, print-revered shop has chance to showcase less-appreciated broadcast skills.

FINAL GRADE: C

CRAMER-KRASSELT

NUMBERS B
Billings and revenue each up 16% to $914 million and $137 million, respectively. Won Zantac ($45 million), Porsche Cars North America ($40 million), Sealy ($20 million), Bissell ($20 million), TV Guide ($15 million), Levitra digital ($10 million) and CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield ($5 million). Lost CareerBuilder.com ($60 million), Hyatt national branding ($10 million), Effen Vodka ($5 million).

CREATIVE B+
Nice partnership displayed between creative and media planning in clever, noticeable TV Guide campaign. It professes to help viewers "get through the week" between episodes of their favorite series with show-specific creative, such as a 15-second spot counting down the days to Prison Break, to draw attention to the magazine. Corona's 60-second spot is an impressive visual-effects-laden history of the dramatic creation of a tropical island from the underwater beginnings of a volcanic eruption to the growth of palm trees to the final shot of a beer being placed on a tree stump between a couple on the beach. Corona print plays with the lime tradition in an execution that shows three bottles lined up, with a whole lime perched on the last one next to the headline, "Greedy." Rozerem spot, featuring the tagline "Your dreams miss you," brings back Abe Lincoln and his beaver buddy, this time in an office setting, where they visit a tired man hesitant to take sleeping pills. AirTran spot tries to build humor with the story of a businessman giving a presentation with a ventriloquist's dummy instead of his co-worker but doesn't quite succeed. Black-and-white Yellow Tail wine spot builds intrigue with townspeople looking up at the sky at a yellow meteor, nicely translating the look of print executions, such as one that also gives readers a temporary tattoo. Pyrex print oddly uses image of gymnast holding another suspended in the air with the bakeware between them in order to highlight the product's new "Hold better" non-slip grips. To showcase speed of its reward program, AirTran taps Indy car driver Danica Patrick for an online game that pits users against her to win a free ticket.

MANAGEMENT B
After performing in the top 10 of the USA Today Ad Meter Super Bowl poll in recent years, with its CareerBuilder chimpanzee campaign, agency failed to impress with a new jungle-themed series introduced in 2007 game, leading the client to put creative in review. President and CEO Peter Krivkovich made headlines in February when he publicly defended agency's work and resigned the account rather than defend. The independent shop fired up its new-business offensive, replacing Careerbuilder with several wins, Porsche among them. Promoted Wanda McDonald to CFO in Chicago after Bob Bradley retired.

REGIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
Cramer-Krasselt/Hampel Stefanides in New York won CareFirst BlueCross; Milwaukee won Bissell. Jasmine Dadlani joined as svp, brand planner in New York, a newly created post. Eric Rosson joined Phoenix as director of digital operations.

COMMENTS
Agency's first work for Porsche broke last month, a promising start that brings playful attitude to the brand with "Engineered mischief" campaign. Agency is currently a finalist in the review for L.L. Bean's $30 million account.

FINAL GRADE: B

CRISPIN PORTER + BOGUSKY

NUMBERS B-
Billings up 15% to $1.15 billion and revenue up 20% to $120 million. Won Domino's Pizza creative and media planning ($70 million), Nike Running and Nike+ ($50 million), American Express Open ($80 million) and business development and in-store project for Best Buy. Lost Ask.com ($30 million), Miller Lite, Miller High Life ($150 million), Virgin Atlantic Airways ($2.5 million), ConAgra's Slim Jim and Orville Redenbacher ($34 million). Relatively small revenue base drags down grade.

CREATIVE A-
Burger King's "Whopper Freakout," with footage from surveillance cameras, cleverly orchestrates fictional discontinuation of chain's signature product to celebrate 50th anniversary of sandwich. In successful cross-promotion with The Simpsons Movie, popular Simpsonizeme.com site, which has received more than 25 million visitors, lets fans transform uploaded photos into Simpsons' characters. First TV work for Nike, featuring runners through the ages, is attention-getting, but ends with thud when story line switches to present. VW tie-in with release of The Bourne Ultimatum, "Bourne Happens," seamlessly constructs action-packed movie trailer/car ad hybrid. Coke Zero comically parodies ambulance-chasing law firms with integrated "Covet & Yourminy" campaign. Fictitious firm launches class-action suit against The Coca-Cola Company for causing "taste confusion" between brand's no-calorie and original versions; includes print, radio, online and outdoor.

MANAGEMENT B+
Holding company MDC Partners upped stake in November to majority share of 77% from 49%. Management team, led by co-chairman Chuck Porter, CEO Jeff Hicks and CCO Alex Bogusky, continued to diversify agency's in-house capabilities with acquisitions and new hires. In September, agency bought marketing research and consulting firm Radar Communications and merged it with shop's existing research and planning departments. Launched PR division led by former Porter Novelli executive Rob Gould in July. David Rolfe, vp, director of integrated production, instrumental in developing 87-person department, returned to agency, relocating to Boulder, Colo., from DDB Chicago. (Boulder office is not considered a satellite; shares management, accounts, etc.)

GLOBAL HIGHLIGHTS
Opened London office with three employees to service Burger King in U.K. and Spain.

COMMENTS
In January, agency elevated CCO Alex Bogusky to co-chairman, a title shared with Chuck Porter. Co-ecds Andrew Keller and Rob Reilly now split creative oversight of the agency's accounts. Crispin continues to win business from large, prestigious clients seeking alternative solutions to their roster shops (Nike, American Express), this year winning a $300 million global assignment from Microsoft. But will agency cultivate same kind of long-standing relationships these brands already have with their roster agencies (Wieden + Kennedy, Ogilvy & Mather, McCann Erickson)?

FINAL GRADE: B+

DDB

NUMBERS C
Billings flat at $3.90 billion, revenue up about 8% to $662 million. Won $80 million in new McDonald's tasks (McSkillet, Spicy Chicken Sandwich, Olympics), Wrigley's global Juicy Fruit, Hubba Bubba, Extra, Lifesavers, Big Red ($50 million total in U.S.), Merck's Zostavax ($40 million) and global Taranabant ($30 million in U.S.), Activision ($30 million), Clearwire ($25 million), Spectracide ($20 million), ConAgra's Chef Boyardee ($18 million), Georgia-Pacific's Brawny, Sparkle ($11 million). Lost Subaru ($200 million), Epson ($35 million), Dell B2B ($25 million). Won, lost Miracle Whip ($18 million). Revenue hit from September's Subaru loss not felt until 2008.

CREATIVE B
Laugh-out-loud "Swear Jar" effort on bud.TV gives Anheuser-Busch an edge that appeals to the site's young adult demo. Memorable Bud Light spot in which a guy says "dude" in every conceivable context succeeds. Spot for McDonald's Dollar Menu featuring two guys bantering about the cost of one guy's clothes feels forced and overshadows the sales pitch. Philips injects humanity into its products with a young couple that goes from cuddling on a couch in front of an Ambilight TV to gazing at an ultrasound of their unborn child. Print ads for Clorox's Tilex make the brand seem tough via stark visuals, simple copy, such as the image of mobsters wielding the product outside a bathroom door ("Teach mold a lesson"). An Activision Guitar Hero spot in which a teen playing the game morphs into Slash and then back again feels cheesy, uninspired.

MANAGEMENT B-
Mixed results for Chuck Brymer in year two as worldwide CEO, with Wrigley's global win, new lieutenants, but missed global opportunities on LG and Nokia mobile phones and management issues in Chicago. In August, L.A. office president Rick Carpenter replaced Chicago president Dana Anderson, who failed to significantly rebound from 2006 J.C. Penney loss. In November, Nick Bishop, director of global accounts at G2, filled the L.A. vacancy as president, CEO. N.Y. president Peter Hempel and chairman, CCO Lee Garfinkel were in defensive mode but retained Hertz, N.Y. State Lottery and G-P, adding paper towel brands. All told, U.S. offices won 58% of their pitches (14 of 24). In February, Brymer promoted director of worldwide accounts Greg Taucher to chief people officer -- succeeding the retiring James Best -- effective April 1. In April, Brymer hired Mark Goldstone of Publicis Healthcare Communications Group as DDB Heathcare's first worldwide president.

REGIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
Miami office CCO Luis Miguel Messianu in September added the role of president, succeeding president, CEO Eduardo del Rivero, who retired. In May, Chicago forged a strategic alliance with EMI Music Publishing, after they partnered on a tour of EMI gospel artists that McDonald's sponsored.

GLOBAL HIGHLIGHTS
Grew existing clients, adding creative duties on Unilever's Lipton and McDonald's China. Brymer in November tapped Leo Burnett N.A. co-president Juan Carlos Ortiz as president of Latin America, succeeding Steve Burton, who shifted to regional COO.

COMMENTS
Year started strong with addition of about $100 million of Unilever's estimated $250 million global ice cream business. The Chicago office was rocked by the March suicide of ecd Paul Tilley. N.Y. has leadership questions to address, given its Subaru loss, lack of big wins.

FINAL GRADE: B-

DEUTSCH

NUMBERS B-
Billings up 24% to $2.5 billion, revenue up 10% to $220 million. N.Y. won Wildlife Conservation Society, Tylenol media ($135 million), USAA ($100 million) and added Novartis' Prevacid ($100 million), International Speedway media ($50 million), Olympus ($15 million), Exelon ($1 million) and Under Armour. Losses: Sports Authority media ($35 million) and Monster.com media ($30 million). L.A. won GM's Saturn ($290 million), Sony PlayStation ($140 million) and Tesco ($100 million). Lost GM corporate projects ($100 million). Agency derived little '07 revenue from Tesco (still building up its U.S. presence) and late-year Sony win.

CREATIVE B
Controversial Super Bowl spot for GM 100,000-mile warranty showing robot suffering suicidal daydream of being laid off for dropping a screw effectively integrates beauty shots with visual jokes. United Healthcare spot with nightmarish scene in which patients, moving in slow motion, never get help they need positions brand as ably cutting through red tape. Animated spot of boy growing ears and tail to visit Bronx Zoo shows puckish charm for Wildlife Conservation Society. Tylenol factory workers expressing how much love they put into product delivers subtle and prescient made-in-America message. Happy cows teaching duck to chant "moo" backwards for California Milk Advisory Board spot gently makes fun of Californians-as-flakes cliche -- a good move for brand's national expansion. DirecTV work using famous movie clips, such as Sigourney Weaver kicking butt in Aliens, then having star address viewers (via manipulated footage) continues fun, anti-cable work. DirecTV print ad of Burt Reynolds' 1972 Cosmopolitan centerfold as example of something not better in high def also amusing. Olympus print ad of arresting photograph and accompanying text from photographer explaining brand's advantages works well. Westin's "This is how it should feel" integrated effort, including urban trains and rail stations wrapped with images of relaxing environments, eye-catching in all the right ways.

MANAGEMENT B+
CEO Linda Sawyer, who took agency's reins during its darkest period in 2005, regained some ground in 2006 (largely due to L.A.'s performance) and oversaw N.Y. rebound nicely in 2007. Her first order of business was replacing N.Y. CCO Kathy Delaney and N.Y. director of account planning Jeffrey Wolf, both of whom departed at the end of 2006, with JWT's Peter Nicholson, 39, as CCO and Mick McCabe, 37, formerly of Leo Burnett, as chief strategy officer. Rainmaker Michael Duda promoted in June from director of business development to chief corporate strategy officer, with intent of finding pre-review new business.

REGIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
No longer a mere satellite office, L.A. shop, led by L.A. CCO and co-president Eric Hirshberg and co-president Mike Sheldon, continued to lead in new business bravado. Both men feted by L.A. ad community as Leaders of the Year in February. Hirshberg backed his focus on integration by adding Tom Dunlap as first director of integrated production.

COMMENTS
Inspiring L.A. comeback in 2006 rubbed off on N.Y. in 2007, with USAA and Prevacid wins key to strong year. L.A. shows no sign of cooling off, winning Dr Pepper ($35 million) from Y&R in April.

FINAL GRADE: B

DONER

NUMBERS D-
Billings flat at $1.8 billion, revenue flat at $163 million. Won Experian's freecreditreport.com ($80 million), Secure Horizons ($60 million), Mazda de Mexico ($25 million), Pennzoil ($20 million), United HealthCare/AARP ($15 million), University Hospital ($10 million), IdeaCast ($10 million), Coca-Cola's Simply Apple ($5 million), HON Co. ($5 million). Won Hunter Fan, Beef O'Brady's, Things Remembered, TicketsNow, Polartec for $6 million additional combined. Added about $10 million Expedia.com interactive and $1 million Expedia corporate travel. Lost Carrabba's/Outback spot media ($100 million), Hotels.com ($60 million), U.S. Cellular ($60 million), La-Z-Boy ($35 million), Sylvan Learning Center ($30 million), Blockbuster creative fee ($5 million), American Greetings ($5 million), plus five under $1 million each, including LensCrafters' Luxotticca direct, GE Lighting. Mazda spending up, most existing client spending flat. Some late-year losses, but disproportionately high revenue from adding digital and direct duties.

CREATIVE C-
Mazda Design Challenge integrated work to build the 2018 Mazda 3 via Facebook and MySpace contests and events represents agency's best work, but that's not saying much. Mazda spot with little girl hearing that her mother is "spoiled" because she drives a CX-9 fails to represent luxury-class worthiness. Graphics showing Expedia.com calendar feature lifts a generally uncreative, no-frills retail campaign that spotlights yellow luggage as the icon. Hot dog vendor taking a bite before handing it over clearly illustrates bank greed and PNC Bank's no-ATM-charge advantage. Chocolate-allergy victim being warned of phone company shenanigans for Cox Communications elicits a chuckle, but grotesquely swollen face is too much. UPS Store packing-service spot with wife scouring house for shipping material lacks creativity; much better are UPS full-pagers with distraught business exec facing screwed-up presentation (with the ad printed upside down) and UPS delivery man "pledging" protection to female client.

MANAGEMENT D
CEO Alan Kalter suffered two of the most significant disturbances since the agency fire of 1996, and the numbers and reel reflect it. John DeCerchio, 55, who'd led creative as CCO since 1996, retired in March after 32 years; and chief media director Shane Ankeney departed to TBWA\Chiat\Day in N.Y. With no in-house successors, in December Kalter finally attracted Rob Strasberg from Crispin Porter + Bogusky, where he worked on VW and Mini. By year's end, Kalter had hired Greg Clausen from Starcom MediaVest unit Spark Communications in Chicago, naming him evp, chief media officer. Brett Groom was elevated from manager of digital to chief digital officer in May, reflecting agency's two-year plan to double the revenue stream with every client via the digital space. The immediate result was winning Expedia.com interactive in August from Avenue A/Razorfish, a coup for a shop not known for cutting-edge digital. Though digital staff grew by 24, overall head count shrank by 60 people, mostly from marketing services, to 970.

REGIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
Automotive president Tim Blett's Newport Beach, Calif., outpost for Mazda grew, with the client's unit sales up 8% on the year and the CX-9 crossover launch accounting for nearly 10% of sales.

COMMENTS
No big wins yet in 2008, but if new directors of creative, media and digital can't produce positive momentum for the stalled shop this year, it's hard to imagine what could.

FINAL GRADE: D

DRAFTFCB

NUMBERS C
Billings up 14% to $5.9 billion. Revenue up 7% to $589 million, restated from $552 million to reflect absorption of Rivet, Hacker, Zipatoni and Sloan into one P&L. Wins include K-Mart ($200 million), U.S. Census ($200 million), Wyeth's Enbrel ($80 million), Bristol-Myers Squibb ($25 million), SkyTeam ($5 million), MoneyGram ($5 million). Lost Applebee's ($175 million), Verizon ($150 million), John Deere ($20 million), Similac ($10 million).

CREATIVE C
Quiet A1 Steak Sauce spot of man deliberating whether to eat off of someone's discarded room-service tray makes its point with a dark, off-putting effect. Annoying Chips Ahoy "Convertible" spot shows cookies driving and singing "Don't You Want Me" as a hand comes down and picks them off one by one. Mix-up in Coors Light spot between bottle label and pregnancy test turning blue generates yuks for young male target. Taco Bell Super Bowl spot with two lions chatting side by side grabs attention with banter about properly pronouncing "carne," but repetition makes it feel long. Sight gag in Shout spot of a woman upset about stains hurling her washer out of her house generates no interest in product. Velveeta inexplicably goes retro in a print ad that shows a '50s-era woman with a platter of unappetizing cheese slices. Integrated effort for weight-loss drug Alli uses colorful design, pop-up store with pharmacists on hand to answer questions and a book, Are you Losing It?, with proceeds to fight childhood obesity. Fun "Rockstarizer" Web site for Motorola allows people to live out rock-star fantasies by uploading their pictures onto album covers.

MANAGEMENT C+
Lingering Julie Roehm/Wal-Mart cloud dissipated by spring when IPG agency pulled off Kmart win without a review. By year's end, CEO Howard Draft saw revenue grow 7%, a feat for its first full year of operations post merger. The agency lost its cornerstone Verizon business in New York but added more than 10 new clients and grew existing business from Kraft, Brown-Foreman, Dockers, Coors and Motorola, among others. Successfully defended and grew its Gerber business after client's purchase by Nestlé. Hired Neil Miller, former CFO at McCann Erickson, as global CFO. Nick Paul, formerly head of 361 Sports and Event Marketing, named director of new business development. Named Jim Lucas director of new retail division, Shopper Marketing. Created new position of chief customer intelligence officer for Michael Fassnacht, architect of agency's SmartWall, a bank of eight screens that posts real-time client results.

REGIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
New York suffered layoffs of 50 employees in July after Verizon loss. Rodd Chant, ecd in N.Y., resigned; chairman and CCO Chris Becker assumed responsibilities. Combined leadership teams in S.F., Seattle, Orange County, naming Dominic Whittles president of DraftFCB West Coast. Moved Tom O'Keefe, CCO in Chicago into new role of ecd, overseeing Chicago and West Coast offices in a bid to strengthen their creativity. Rob Sherlock promoted to CCO in Chicago.

GLOBAL HIGHLIGHTS
Won BMW in New Zealand, Switzerland; Hyundai and Porsche in Kuwait; Mercedes in France; Y Telecom in Dubai. Added Cadillac and Hummer in U.K.; Shanghai General Motors in China; Buick and Saab digital in China. India's Anil Kapoor expanded duties to include all of Asia-Pacific, except China.

COMMENT
More stable than the perception. After a year as one entity, DraftFCB is showing it has regained confidence and tempered past turmoil.

FINAL GRADE: C

EURO RSCG

NUMBERS B-
Billings, revenue up 9% to $4.8 billion and $666 million, respectively. Won Kraft's Ritz, Toasted Chips and Triscuit brands ($70 million), Hyatt global ($40 million), Areva ($5 million), Circuit City's Firedog ($1.5 million), Effen Vodka ($1 million). Added digital assignments for Lean Cuisine, Benefiber, Clearasil. Lost Volvo ($200 million), Graco ($5 million), New Balance digital, Verizon business products and services. Organic growth from existing clients Charles Schwab, Circuit City, ExxonMobil and Pfizer. Big revenue base and third-largest dollar gain overall lifted grade.

CREATIVE B
Animated Charles Schwab "Talk to Chuck" TV campaign remains solid and distinctive with spot featuring a man talking about how his brokerage firm neglected him for larger accounts; uncluttered print features single quotes such as "My money's mostly in fees." Dos Equis' integrated "The most interesting man in the world" campaign stars a suave ladies' man whose blood "smells like cologne" and tells viewers, "Stay thirsty, my friend." The worldly character shrewdly admits he may not always drink beer, but when he does his choice is the Mexican brew. Jaguar TV continues its high-octane, music-driven pitch for the CXF. Ritz ads with the "Open for fun" tag use bright graphics in print and TV to freshen the brand with some whimsy and bounce. Controversial Clearasil spot promises "more confidence" with a boy trying to seduce his friend's mom -- icky to adults, but alluring to the teen target, who can upload similar stories at maycauseconfidence.com.

MANAGEMENT B
Agency's took biggest hit from March loss of Volvo ad account, handled since 1991, but in a testament to its growing digital strength, retained global digital assignment. Global CEO David Jones, 41, began to build a North American management team, recruiting Esther Lee, former global CCO at Coca-Cola, as CEO of North America in June. Folded digital and direct shop Euro RSCG 4D and its 250 staffers into N.Y. in November; global chief strategy officer Andrew Bennett and 4D CEO Jeff Brooks were named co-presidents. N.Y. ecd Jeff Kling left last April; ecds Michael Lee and Alicia Johnson assumed creative leadership. Daniel Floyed, managing director of Euro RSCG Fuel U.K., relocated to N.Y. as director of global business development, replacing Avi Dan.

REGIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
After a review, Sprint Nextel consolidated direct marketing, b-to-b at Chicago office, led by COO Ron Bess and chairman and CCO Steffan Postaer, as did Citi Consumer Lending Group. N.Y. won Kraft's cracker business in June after a review; hired Robert Kleman from TBWA\Chiat\Day as ecd. Dallas was renamed SWJ after Havas acquired Schroepfer Wessels Jolesch and merged the two shops.

GLOBAL HIGHLIGHTS
In February, Havas reported Euro RSCG's 5.5% global revenue increase helped boost the parent company's overall revenue, which rose 4%. Wins included 3 Telecom, London; Atari, Banque Populaire, eBay in France; Heinz in Mexico; Nivea in China.

COMMENTS
Year started strong with LendingTree win in February. Jones continues to bolster North American management team. In March, he named Ron Berger executive chairman and Bess COO for North America. This month, hired former Wieden + Kennedy ccd Jose Cabaco as the agency's first CCO for the region.

FINAL GRADE: B

FALLON

NUMBERS F
Billings fell 10% to $610 million. Revenue dropped 9% $93 million. Won Johnson Controls ($15 million) and Equinox Fitness ($2 million). Big-hit loss of most of global Citi business, calling-card client that spent $110 million in U.S. media last year. (Agency still works for Citi in some Asian markets.) Bahamas Tourism ($15 million) also departed. Among current clients, Garmin up about 30% to $55 million and Crowne Plaza rose to $15 million from just $1 million. Nestle Purina Pet Care trimmed spending nearly 20% to $45 million; Travelers cut spending 15% to $70 million; Time Inc. plunged 40% to roughly $1 million.

CREATIVE B+
Work is off a hair from prior years, but still strong, with humor and memorable visuals ruling reel. "Snowball" spot for Travelers shows in dramatic fashion that "when your insurance is in sync, you can roll with anything" via giant ball that adds street detritus, SUVs and a wedding party as it careens down hilly streets of San Francisco. "Risk," with scruffy, mustachioed man causing disasters around town, slower paced and less effective because insurance metaphor less clear. Strong print ads use vivid imagery, such as a bear raiding a suburban kitchen. And Travelers' digital airport wall featuring tiny umbrella logos interacting with consumers (e.g., dancing around as people draw near) is simple, well-executed concept. "Maposaurus" for Garmin's GPS system hilariously sends up giant monster movies while making point that since folding maps can be beastly, Garmin is better choice. "Headphones" for Holiday Inn shows businessmen singing along to REO Speedwagon; Crowne Plaza's "Wives" stages a star-studded roundtable discussion about golf. Both are cute, but difficult to say what they're trying to convey about the brands. Bahamas' print with pre-vacation pasty-faced "nerds" unhip and unappealing -- which is the point. Nuveen print typical of financial services category and not engaging in terms of copy or art direction.

MANAGEMENT D+
Agency scion Pat Fallon, 62, relinquished day-to-day management chores to become chairman emeritus of both Minneapolis shop and SSF, the umbrella group formed last August to house Fallon and sibling Saatchi & Saatchi, and designed to strengthen both entities. In March 2008, former Saatchi exec and then head of Fallon U.K. Robert Senior named CEO of SSF, but Saatchi global CEO Kevin Roberts ultimately runs SSF show. Ex-StrawberryFrog exec Al Kelly joined in July as ecd in Minneapolis HQ after years of top-level creative churn in post-David Lubars era. At a shop that trades on its creative prowess, Kelly is surely in hot seat. Also in March 2008, Fallon named Chris Foster CEO of North American operations. He had been evp, global equity director of Saatchi in N.Y.

GLOBAL HIGHLIGHTS
Strong year in London as office won business from Anheuser-Busch, Asda, Cadbury, EuroStar, Lycra and Orange. Cadbury's "Gorilla" spot originated in that outpost. Tokyo office picked up assignments from Citi, Fox and L'Oréal. Added global duties on Holiday Inn ($15 million).

COMMENTS
Fallon faces uncertain future. Shop still has plenty of name recognition, well-earned creative rep and thriving London office. In U.S., however, quality of work, while still high, has slipped a bit, account wins have been scarce and current HQ client roster isn't that impressive. Shop needs big win to jump-start comeback. Publicis Groupe CEO Maurice Lévy's assertion to Adweek in April 2007, "They will bounce back, they will rebound," has yet to happen.

FINAL GRADE: C-

GOODBY, SILVERSTEIN & PARTNERS

NUMBERS B+
Billings up 92% to $2.3 billion, revenue up 16% to $111 million. Won: Sprint ($400 million), Hyundai ($600 million), Commonwealth Bank of Australia ($300 million), NBA ($40 million) and, without a review, Frito-Lay's Cheetos ($8-10 million). Lost: Saturn ($200 million), Flat Earth ($12 million), projects for Starbucks and Motorola. (Revenue from 2006 adjusted to $96 million from $102 million to reflect more accurate figures.)

CREATIVE A-
First work for Hyundai bravely takes low-key approach to raise consideration for brand. Each spot in interesting TV campaign asks a provocative question about auto industry and gently prods consumers to "think about it" further online. Sprint spots (launched post-merger with Nextel), with tagline "Sprint. Ahead," catches eye and smartly sets brand apart from competition by avoiding price plans and coverage, and focusing on life enhanced by Sprint's technology (represented by animated beams of light). Continuing its creative process theme, HP's "Computer is personal again" spots are more revealing portraits of celebrities and include entertaining executions starring Serena Williams, sharing her inspiration for her Aneres clothing line, and Jerry Seinfeld, discussing his love of New York and role in Bee Movie. Spots for relaunched Rolling Rock, post-A-B acquisition, star fictional marketing executive from unnamed new, big, bad corporation apologizing for his bad ideas (found online), like commercial with dancing ape at pool party, and pitch for bottle shaped like a woman's body. Most impressive online effort came from agency's longtime client, the California Milk Processor Board; the intricate "Get the Glass" game continues story told on TV of a family of milk-deprived thieves. NBA shines positive light on basketball league in "Amazing happens" print and TV work. Comcast continues to generate laughs with spot starring the Slowskys, the turtle couple -- this time at dinner party with neighbors -- still resistant to speedy online service.

MANAGEMENT A
The loss of Saturn at beginning of 2007 stung and could have sent agency into downward spiral. Instead, led by hands-on creative founders Jeff Goodby and Rich Silverstein, agency successfully went on offensive, winning $2 billion of new business within four weeks. Most critical to staving off layoffs was the Sprint victory, won after a final shootout with Ogilvy & Mather in New York. Initially participating in Volvo review with 180, the Omnicom agency strategically traded in opportunity for shot at Hyundai -- and won. The San Francisco shop continued to diversify talent pool and assignments, with digital representing nearly half of agency's output. Hard work and introspection of prior year, spearheaded by managing partner Derek Robson, delivered in both new business and diversified creative output.

COMMENTS
Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, named Adweek's U.S. Agency of the Year in 2007 for second year in a row, proved it can change with times, with '07 the year the 25-year-old agency demonstrated it can not only survive, but thrive. However, will gains of the last year prove lasting for agency? Hyundai is looking back to The Richards Group for dealership work, and struggling Sprint has recently shifted its advertising to a spot starring CEO Dan Hesse -- and executive star turns are rarely a good sign.

FINAL GRADE: A-

GREY

NUMBERS C
Billings rose 5% to $4.3 billion. Revenue up 6% $641 million, respectively. Won E*Trade ($180 million) in November. Also added Terlato Wines ($10 million); Playtex's Hawaiian Tropic ($5 million). New business from existing clients included $15-20 million GSK Breathe Right strips; Eli Lilly's Evista and Strattera ($20 million combined); P&G's DDF Skin Care ($10 million). Lost Kmart ($200 million), Hasbro's games biz ($40 million), Amerilift's Estroven ($5 million). Spending was up 50% at GSK to $100 million; 30% at Diageo to $30 million; 10% at Darden to $135 million; 5% at P&G to $790 million; 2% at Dairy Queen to $80 million. Others fell: 3M, 30% to $50 million; Canon, 10% to $100 million; Wyeth, 8% to $145 million. Short of 7.6% average revenue increase, but large dollar gain lifted grade.

CREATIVE C+
"Astronaut" for Nokia is a perfect marriage of concept and content with a faux space traveler using a Nokia GPS-enabled phone to traverse a seemingly depopulated Earth ... until the reveal: He's being guided to a friend's costume party. Dairy Queen ad for Flamethrower burgers and chicken sandwiches shows people with fire erupting from their mouths, which seems to suggest heartburn. Preparation H commercial earns points for its directness: A guy who doesn't use the product tries to sleep with his rear thrust high in the air. Print really runs the gamut, from Downy's field of pink roses made from clean shirts to sensuous golden lips and teeth biting into links of a gold chain for Max Factor.

MANAGEMENT C+
Amid management changes, Grey still had two sizable client additions in E*Trade and Fortis and only one big loss in Kmart. This was the year Jim Heekin, 58, succeeded Ed Meyer, 81, as chairman and CEO of Grey Global Group, completing a transition that began in 2005, when WPP acquired Grey and Heekin, a former senior exec at McCann and Euro RSCG, joined in September. He led Grey's worldwide ad ops before taking over for Meyer after more than 30 years as its chief executive. New York flagship in April gained new president, Steve Hardwick, 44, formerly president of StrawberryFrog. Hardwick vowed to pull together a team "to put a new face on Grey" and he made numerous hires. In September, ex-Leo Burnetter Tor Myhren took over as CCO after Tim Mellors moved up to vice chair, global CCO. Nick Childs, former president of Cascade Media, joined as content chief, a new post, and Michael Houston, from Kirshenbaum Bond + Partners, became evp, director of marketing. Kim Hunt became svp, business development. Myhren won a gold Addy for "Nothing Compares to 2," a video that prepped staff for move.

REGIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
Stephen Ward, a Grey N.Y. ecd, was named president, CCO in 25-person Atlanta office; Joel Babbitt remains chairman. Digital arm G2 acquired i-shop Refinery in July. Los Angeles office picked up TV work from BMW to tout 3 Series coupe and the carmaker's Ultimate Service program.

GLOBAL HIGHLIGHTS
Added $200 million Fortis EMEA assignment and $50 million in EMEA chores on Toshiba, both led by London office. Lost portion of Nokia global distribution and adaptation assignment ($120 million). Lost some Wrigley's work in Asia and India.

COMMENTS
With new managers firmly ensconced, Grey looks to raise its game across the board. Heekin and other new arrivals are seasoned pros, but must overcome agency perception as staid, second-tier player.

FINAL GRADE: C+

GSD&M IDEA CITY

NUMBERS F
Billings flat at $1.8 billion, revenue down 3% to $112 million on restated 2006 revenue of $116 million. Won HD Radio Alliance ($230 million), AT&T's 411 and 1-800-Yellow Pages ($50 million), Cost Plus World Market ($30 million), DreamWorks/Toshiba HD assignments ($20 million), John Deere ($20 million), Small Smiles ($20 million), Hallmark's mass channel ($20 million), San Antonio Spurs project, Baton Rouge Area Foundation, American Stroke Association (under $1 million each). Lost AT&T media ($1 billion) in October, Chili's Grill & Bar ($75 million) and Frito-Lay's Tostitos ($40 million). Though paid through March, lost estimated $10 million in revenue from Wal-Mart loss in late 2006; agency's part represented $150 million of the retailer's $570 million spend.

CREATIVE B
BMW Hydrogen 7 spot with car made of water undulating against a white cyclorama before falling away smartly introduces futuristic concept model. Kohler spot featuring philosophic French hitmen trying to hide contraband behind ultra-modern toilet design is witty, Euro-sophisticated bathroom humor. Reimagining the Empire State Building, Taj Mahal and pyramids with their foundations missing makes "ground up" engineering message for BMW 3-series convertible. Integrated "Relearn to drive" campaign features better idea (the dopes who may have taught you to drive) than comic executions (viral videos, postcards, postings), but payoff at BMW Performance Driving School site worth the ride. Action of man who can't drink coffee without cigarettes for Legacy would make the point as well if it intermixed more humor with appropriate poignancy. Loadmaster hanging off the open end of a C-130 as if it's a pickup truck sells everyday heroism and excitement of the Air Force effectively. Too familiar approach for AT&T/Napster shows woman strolling through an imaginary street cluttered with visual imagery. Typical technique (compositing golf legends on contemporary links) for FedExCup is saved by tag: "This year, history will be watching." Teen-geared anti-smoking print ad for Legacy uses "killer video" movie cult smartly ("If you read this entire ad, five people will die"), but copy gives away the trick too quickly. Better are FedExCup shots of fans fixated on game play ("Don't forget to exhale") and handsome BMW spreads comparing racer to M5.

MANAGEMENT D
The Idea City notion, hatched in August, incorporated the purpose-based branding effort of 2006, cooked up by principals Roy Spence, Judy Trabulsi, Steve Gurasich and Tim McClure to emphasize Omnicom agency's desire for creative collaboration with clients as opposed to just ad execution. Move came right after agency lost its largest account, Wal-Mart. The rebranding also coincided with Spence relinquishing day-to-day oversight of creative to become chairman, CEO and rainmaker; Trabulsi becoming chair of the formally recognized leadership council; Gurasich oveseeing innovation as vice chair; and McClure staying a board member while he developed his Mythos Studios production company. AT&T media loss led to mostly media layoffs of 90-120 people in November. The first half year of CCO Duff Stewart's presidency was dominated by recovery and the search for an ecd to replace retiring de facto creative leader Spence, accomplished in March 2008 with hiring of Crispin Porter + Bogusky's Mark Taylor.

COMMENTS
Agency successfully defended Air Force in a review and expanded its business with BMW in 2008, launching the European 1 Series in the U.S. Perhaps Taylor's Crispin credentials can help the shop build a winning streak.

FINAL GRADE: D+

HILL, HOLLIDAY, CONNORS, COSMOPULOS

NUMBERS B+
Billings, revenue rose 25% to $1.5 billon and $225 million, respectively, as the agency turned in its best performance in five years. Built on 2006 in a big way, adding Chili's ($110 million); Toys R Us ($90 million); Bank of America wealth management and retirement ($35 million); Rockport, BI-LO, Covidien and the Visiting Nurses of New York, about $5 million each. Among existing clients, added all local advertising for Verizon Wireless (a gain of about $25 million). CVS, Dunkin' Donuts, Liberty Mutual and John Hancock spending each rose 5-10% to $150 million, $120 million, $80 million and $25 million, respectively. AOL spending tanked more than 50% to some $30 million. Lost Smith Barney ($35 million, due to BofA conflict), EMC ($12 million) and LoJack ($10 million).

CREATIVE B
Solid effort across the board. One campaign -- Toys R Us -- stood out: The shop's first spots for the client bring to life kids' playtime adventures in the form of humorously overblown Hollywood cop and submarine scenarios. The campaign succeeds because it appeals to moms and dads, who no doubt still fantasize about acting out such dramas. Liberty Mutual effort underscores company's values by showing everyday people helping others: a simple approach, well executed. Wealth management ads for BofA depicting humble beginnings of the wealthy are smartly produced and well intentioned, but feel generic. Goofy Chili's spot with a guy who runs into a gigantic chili pepper while riding a lawnmower doesn't say much. SoBe's high-octane spots, showing young teens gaining super-human strength and ripping everything from phone books to boats in half is an inspired bit of targeted lunacy, down to the heavy-metal soundtrack and over-the-top voiceover. Print ads for BofA defining "IRA" are effective and informative. The shop was big on blogs in 2007, crafting efforts for HomeGoods and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care. The former features mainly customers, the latter stars HPHC CEO Charlie Baker and also includes white papers, polls and surveys. Both are cleanly designed and nicely executed for their respective brands, but in some ways more functional and promotional (Web 1.0) than truly interactive or community building (Web 2.0).

MANAGEMENT B+
Led by CEO Mike Sheehan, chief media officer Baba Shetty and strategy chief Lesley Bielby, the IPG shop shed its new-biz specialists of years past and turned in best new-business performance in memory via added billings and big-name clients. December addition of entertainment industry vet John Dukakis to lead branded-entertainment practice showed desire to expand into new areas, and that paid off as 2008 began with agency spearheading multimedia, multiplatform deal with NBC on behalf of Liberty Mutual.

REGIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
New York office added Sirius Satellite Radio online, DM and word-of-mouth assignments. Erwin-Penland division in Greenville, S.C., picked up BI-LO. Longtime Boston staffer Karen Kaplan, who began as a receptionist and has never worked at another agency, was promoted from president of the Boston HQ to president of the U.S. network.

COMMENTS
It's a new era in many ways, with Sheehan and Kaplan firmly asserting their leadership roles in 2007, the first full year without Jack Connors. They guided the shop to a stellar year. Shop has evolved from an old-school mainstream agency into a more flexible marketing-services operation.

FINAL GRADE: B+

JWT

NUMBERS C-
Billings down 3% to $3.7 billion; revenue up 3% to $640 million. Won online duties for Texas Instruments ($70 million); Johnson & Johnson's Band Aid (global), Reach (global), Pepcid, Cortaid, Mylanta (totaling $65 million in U.S.); global Royal Caribbean ($60 million in U.S.); AstraZeneca's Saxagliptin ($40 million); global Nokia mobile communications (network duties, $20 million in U.S.). Lost eight Kraft Foods brands ($220 million), Domino's national brand ($70 million), Jenny Craig ($20 million), Zantac ($10 million); resigned Orkin ($10 million). Solid revenue-to-staff ratio, large base boost grade.

CREATIVE B
Slipped a notch. Oddity of Oreo-induced mustaches and goatees in Domino's Oreo Pizza TV spot draws you into funny lines like dad telling son, "Give it time, it'll fill out." Smirnoff print ads telling the story of the founder's life succeed via elegant graphics, engrossing tales. Macy's spots with celebrities such as P. Diddy and Martha Stewart prepping their wares colorfully conveys what's new at the retailer. Ford Mustang spot in which a guy in a red car peels out next to a woman in a black car feels clichéd. A couple in a car exchanging glances backed by acoustic music creates intimacy, warmth in a spot for Diamond Trading Co. Sunsilk Color Boost spot in which brunettes, blondes, etc., assert superiority tries to inject attitude into the brand but feels cheesy. Domino's Web video featuring a fake "rich girl" who sells a red sports car for $9.99 to repair her tarnished image as a spoiled brat cleverly connects to an eBay promotion that urges consumers to sell unwanted wares for $9.99, the price for a pizza offer.

MANAGEMENT B-
Uneven new-business record and below-average revenue growth put added pressure on Bob Jeffrey in his fourth year as worldwide CEO. WPP shop became a player on J&J, six months after joining roster via J&J's purchase of Pfizer Consumer Healthcare, but Kraft Foods loss decimated Chicago office and triggered June exits of president Ros King and ecd Graham Woodall. Rather than fill the posts, Jeffrey made Chicago a satellite office under New York co-presidents Rosemarie Ryan and Ty Montague. A seesaw dynamic was evident in pitches, with the shop winning J&J, Royal Caribbean, Nokia, but losing bids for the U.S. Census, Splenda, TiVo. Overall, the agency won 8 of 14 contests, down from 10 of 13 in 2006. Ryan in June recruited Fred Rubin, 54, director of iDeutsch and directDeutsch in N.Y., for the new role of managing director of integrated business solutions.

REGIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
Chicago in June and July laid off 20 staffers -- reducing head count to 70 -- as Kraft pulled most of its business. In July, Detroit (with N.Y.) beat Arnold, mcgarrybowen to retain Ford Focus. Atlanta in December successfully defended its U.S. Marine Corps account.

GLOBAL HIGHLIGHTS
Mixed bag on Unilever: In November the shop won a global assignment for the Knorr brand after a shootout with DDB, but in March, agency's remaining Lipton business (Latin America, Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific regions) shifted to DDB. London got a new ecd: Russell Ramsey, a deputy ecd at Bartle Bogle Hegarty, who in September filled a vacancy left by the January exit of Nick Bell.

COMMENTS
Comings and goings. Jeffrey in January recruited Orlando Hooper-Greenhill, head of international planning at BBH, to become director of global planning. In February, worldwide CMO Marian Salzman resigned to become CMO at Porter Novelli.

FINAL GRADE: C+

THE KAPLAN THALER GROUP

NUMBERS B+
Billings flat at $1 billion. Revenue up 15% to $115 million. Won Kraft Bagel-fuls ($100 million), Champion ($27 million), Sanofi Pasteur ($18 million), TiVo ($15 million), Kodak EasyShare direct response project. Added new brand assignments from Wyeth ($60 million), Pfizer ($50 million) and Shire ($45 million). Lost Coldwell Banker ($100 million), Marshalls ($50 million). Strong percentage increase in revenue reflects only $15 million, tempering grade.

CREATIVE C+
Aflac evokes childhood nostalgia for animated holiday TV specials with well-executed stop-motion spot that has a sick Rudolph dreaming of the Aflac duck taking lead on Santa's sleigh. Humorous Continental spot stars flight attendants saying goodbye not to passengers, but to the food, blankets and pillows they are throwing out the door to pointedly convey Continental still gives its customers "Everything that you should expect from an airline." Text-dominated print for the airline is not wildly creative but clearly states the brand offers more than the competition with the snappy copy, "Still serving meals at mealtime. Chew on that." Gimmicky Outback spot uses animation to liven up food shots, but the ad still makes restaurant chain feel cheap and food look unappetizing. Champion print, part of the agency's first "How you play" campaign for the brand, attempts to skew younger, but showing three guys walking down the street wearing the clothing or a close-up shot of a couple wrestling on a carpeted floor doesn't do much to distinguish it. Trojan TV, print uses wit and images of pigs (men who don't use condoms) to stress, "Evolve. Use a condom every time." Aussie Haircare "textmania" campaign sends consumers on a fun scavenger hunt for Web ads in order to win cash and prizes in an integrated campaign that includes TV, print and online. Partnered with Zagat Survey to introduce a Continental International Restaurant Week event in New York to attract business travelers.

MANAGEMENT B+
CEO, CCO Linda Kaplan Thaler and president Robin Koval oversaw another year of impressive double-digit revenue growth. (The agency has consistently grown since it launched in 1997.) The Publicis Groupe agency won eight out of the 10 new business pitches it participated in last year, added business from existing clients and diversified its client roster with accounts such as TiVo and Champion. The agency's profile was raised with the PR the pair got from their book, The Power of Nice: How to Conquer the Business World With Kindness. Greg Davis, who led new business at the agency from 2000 to 2004, returned to KTG from Nitro as managing director, business development in May. Buzz unit doubled in size with revenue up 50% as more than 60% of the agency's clients included nontraditional elements last year. Jeffrey Wolf joined from Deutsch in the newly created position of managing director, strategic planning, to replace senior planner Chris Wauton.

COMMENTS
The agency, now in its eleventh year, began 2008 with a bang, winning creative duties on Sepracor's $300 million Lunesta account after a review. Will the win be the beginning of another double-digit growth year?

FINAL GRADE: B

LEO BURNETT

NUMBERS D-
Billings and revenue declined 2% to $3.5 billion and $307 million, respectively, on restated figures to account for Burnett/Arc P&L merger. Burnett added GMC ($285 million) and Buick ($130 million), effective Oct. 1, P&G's Herbal Essence ($55 million), Exelon/ComEd ($12 million), Delta Faucet ($10 million), as well as small billings on Metromix (under $1 million); lost Washington Mutual ($100 million), Altoids ($15 million). Arc won Comcast ($50 million), Purina's Fancy Feast ($15 million), Raytheon ($5 million), NatureMade Vitamins ($10 million), Captain Morgan assignment ($1 million); lost Capital One ($40 million). Merged shop won Bally Total Fitness ($65 million) and Caesars ($15 million). Large revenue base and P&L merger lifted grade above failing.

CREATIVE B-
Accident-forgiveness spot for Allstate mixing famous movie stunt-driving scenes is too familiar to distinguish itself; more memorable is music-video-like montage of teens in long line of cars representing combined annual fatalities for All-state parent-teen driving contract initiative. All-Bran spot with construction workers shows all manners of dumping in hilariously male, Austin Powers-like sight gags. McDonald's spot with kid demonstrating hip-hop eating technique before his straitlaced folks is a decent idea foiled by palsied rhythms. Slickly realized, effects-driven spot with voiceover pondering why we love cars makes no strong case for Pontiac beyond that it makes cars. Competent print ads use virtually blank pages, microscopic print to promote Chicago's Museum of Science & Industry's forensics exhibit. Finding "solution" in "resolution" and "filling" in "unfulfilling," in integrated campaign for Kellogg's gets great support on risers of Penn Station stairs, shrinking midriff posters, branded search results, 15-second spots as time checks. Ingenious McDonald's billboard planted with lettuce blooms to read "Fresh Salad."

MANAGEMENT C-
Burnett's double-digit growth dampened by Arc merger restatement. Chairman and CEO Tom Bernardin put an emphasis on streamlining the combined agencies in the first full year of a single P&L by unifying production, planning, research, database services/optimization. Consolidated new business team won 16 of 24 pitches, adding $500 million in billings. First year of Rich Stoddart's presidency saw dramatic personnel shifts. Pat Dermody joined from DDB Chicago as evp, director of retail. Peter McHugh joined from Carmichael Lynch as evp, group cd on GMC in L.A., handling GMC, Buick and Pontiac in four offices. Jon Wyville and Dave Loew hired as a team from Young & Rubicam Chicago as svps, group cds on Buick. Jeff Cruz promoted to svp, group cd in Detroit on Pontiac, replacing Tor Myhren, who took the CCO slot at Grey, N.Y.

REGIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
New Citizen unit in Washington, D.C., allied with shop Issue & Image to gain clout in political advocacy, corporate communications and research.

GLOBAL HIGHLIGHTS
McDonald's "sundial billboard" was single most awarded outdoor work of 2007, winning a silver Lion at Cannes. Sydney office's Earth Hour won a Titanium Lion and the idea spread around globe.

COMMENTS
With siblings Starcom MediaVest and Digitas began offering the Maurice Lévy-endorsed Insight Factory that combines new digital tools, strategic insight and real-time production. Results to be determined.

FINAL GRADE: C-

LOWE

NUMBERS F
Billings fell 7% to $1.42 billion. Revenue declined 15% to $149 million from a restated $175 million to better reflect 2006 results. Won Sharp's Aquos ($75 million), InBev's global Beck's ($20 million in U.S.) and Hoegaarden ($1 million in U.S.), Boston Consulting Group ($10 million), MTV Switch ($10 million), global Regent Hotels & Resorts, Seven Seas Cruises ($5 million total in U.S.). Lost General Motors' GMC ($100 million), Saab ($30 million) and Johnson & Johnson's Splenda, Motrin, Pepcid, Mylanta, Cortaid -- a combined $85 million from shop's Alchemy unit. December's Sharp win came too late to lift revenue.

CREATIVE B
Upbeat XM TV spot in which slouching stick figures on a conveyor belt start gyrating once they pass through a music machine succeeds via simplicity, tight connection back to the yellow sound wave logo. GMC Acadia spot set to "I Melt With You" creates intrigue with objects bursting into the air (electronics, colorful paints, etc.), but the reveal -- they're elements of the car -- feels underwhelming. J&J Bedtime Lotion spot set to a nursery rhyme that ends, "the day is done on planet sleep," sweetly conveys the product's calming claim. "Perfection has its price" finds new meaning in sly Stella Artois spot celebrating indie films with a director who sells his kidney to pay for a helicopter shot. Saab's "Born From Jets" spot set in an airplane hangar falls prey to car ad cliches of beauty shots, heavy voiceover. Celebrity teens such as Hayden Panettiere in "Got milk?" print ads successfully contemporize the industry's health benefit claim.

MANAGEMENT D
GM's firing and the J&J erosion overshadowed some respectable wins. The losses also exposed lackluster growth under North American CEO Nancy Hill, who left in September after just 15 months. Worldwide CEO Stephen Gatfield redistributed her duties between U.S. chairman, CCO Mark Wnek and New York president Sal Taibi. The GMC loss -- part of larger consolidation at Leo Burnett -- triggered the layoff of some 70 staffers (nearly a third of the N.Y. office). Saab in September was reassigned to fellow IPG shop McCann Erickson in Detroit, effective Jan. 1. Alchemy's loss of non-prescription J&J brands came after CEO Rich Pounder powered down to a part-time advisory role. Despite J&J's broader reshuffling of creative assignments after it bought Pfizer Consumer Healthcare, the main agency retained its business. Wnek in March recruited Domenico Vitale, head of brand strategy at Kirshenbaum Bond + Partners, as chief strategy officer for N.A. Wnek's No. 2, ecd Fernanda Romano, in July transferred to Lowe Latina in Madrid, Spain, where she became global cd.

GLOBAL HIGHLIGHTS
London stabilized some, due partly to its participation in network pitches involving other offices. (CEO Amanda Walsh exited in Feb. 2008, after 17 months in the role.) To fortify its offering in Germany, shop struck a joint venture with private equity firm Cognetas to create Lowe Deutschland in Hamburg. In July, Gatfield negotiated 100% ownership of the network's Mumbai, India, office, after 20 years as a minority partner. The shop in December expanded Nestle business, adding creative duties on Nesfrappe in the U.K., Latin America.

COMMENTS
January's Unilever ice cream win ($150 million), this month's global Knorr assignments ($60 million) show renewed confidence from the shop's No. 1 client. Conversely, the J&J loss is worrisome. With former IPG evp Gatfield due to complete his CEO "assignment" in April 2009, IPG faces the challenge of finding a successor.

FINAL GRADE: D+

THE MARTIN AGENCY

NUMBERS B+
Billings up 39% to $1.1 billion; revenue up 25% to $100 million. Won Wal-Mart ($580 million) in January, ESPN's X Games ($12 million), Burt's Bees ($5 million), Newseum ($2 million), The Nature Conservancy ($2 million), Planet Green and The Alliance for Climate Protection. Lost cable network TLC ($20 million) and, in October, Burt's Bees, when companies reached impasse over marketing direction after nine-months of work.

CREATIVE B+
Martin demonstrates creative prowess across increasingly broad range of clients. First TV work for Wal-Mart positions retailer as cost-saver and life improver with "Save money. Live better" tagline. One nicely executed spot follows family on road trip, with Wal-Mart name subtly appearing on plastic bag between the two kids in backseat and a passing truck on highway. End of spot has onscreen type explaining average customer saves $2,500 a year then asks, "What will you do with your savings?" Agency offers rich content -- TV, print, online -- for extreme sports set for ESPN Summer X Games with personal stories told through mix of lively animation and stunt shots. Geico's celebrity testimonial ads continue to entertain. In one spot, Joan Rivers pokes fun at her history of plastic surgery: "This face has seen more knives than Benihana." However, another unsuccessfully strives for humor with footage of Buddy Ebsen as Jed Clampett from The Beverly Hillbillies making cost-savings pitch. UPS' "Whiteboard" series makes star of doodling cd Andy Azula and, as a result, the brand. BF Goodrich print feels generic with muddy Jeep plowing through wilderness. Barely There print sharply emphasizes product benefit with contrasting side-by-side images of bra made out of birds' nests and smooth shape of product.

MANAGEMENT B+
With leadership team that includes CEO John Adams and president and CCO Mike Hughes, agency won largest and most high-profile account of its 42-year history with Wal-Mart in a "do-over" review after a shootout with Ogilvy & Mather. Although many thought the Richmond, Va., agency might be crushed under weight of giant retailer, shop absorbed account smoothly, adding 130 people to staff. Brad Armstrong, a director of account management who left in 2001, rejoined as group management supervisor to oversee account. Burt's Bees, however, came and went, with agency never producing work for brand. Agency adds design capabilities with Collins, the design agency headed by Brian Collins and described as an "imagination company." Expanded branded content division Brand First Entertainment, run by cd Danny Robinson, was a key player in Wal-Mart win. Launched data analytics group Consumer Forensics with Ingenuity Media, led by Lauren Tucker.

COMMENTS
Wal-Mart win should eviscerate lingering doubts that this IPG agency is formidable national player. Now that it's demonstrated it can handle a behemoth like Wal-Mart, what's next?

FINAL GRADE: B+

MCCANN ERICKSON

NUMBERS B
Billings rose 8% to $5.3 billion. Revenue increased 10% to $575 million. Wins include Verizon ($2 billion) in May, GM corporate ($200 million), Applebee's ($180 million), Pfizer Chantix ($75 million), Weight Watchers ($70 million), Saab ($60-75 million), Smith Barney ($35 million), Microsoft Zune ($35 million). Lost Wendy's ($220 million), Buick ($120 million) and J&J's Splenda, Band-Aid, Reach, Monistat, Stayfree and K-Y brands ($90 million). Grew Microsoft, Kohl's and GlaxoSmithKline. Decent revenue percentage gain translates into fifth-best dollar increase, lifting grade.

CREATIVE B+
Arresting Xbox "Believe" spot uses somber music and diorama to create engrossing battle scene for Halo 3. Verizon spot introduces NHL alert with comical appeal to hockey fans: dad banging on window of hospital nursery, raucously cheering his newborn, "Best baby in the world!" Humor falls flat in Labatt Blue spot with fish making pleading phone call to help guy play hooky. Arrowhead spot touting water company's use of recyclable plastic with images of flowers growing out of people's heads is noticeable but hokey way to go green. MasterCard "Priceless" continues decade-plus run with beautiful spot starring a modern-day Julie Andrews detailing her "favorite things." Nikon D40 campaign illustrates ease of use by giving cameras to citizens of Georgetown, S.C., documents professional-looking results in TV, cinema, print, online. Verizon print of thumb wearing a helmet for the "fastest BlackBerry ever" is humorous, restrained. Online Vista work starring comic Demetri Martin is admirable effort to make Microsoft cool.

MANAGEMENT B+
Eric Keshin, McCann Worldgroup COO and regional director of McCann North America, led the U.S. operations to 8 wins on 11 new business pitches. John Dooner, McCann Worldgroup chairman and CEO, relocated New York-based Brett Gosper, president of McCann Erickson in the U.S., to London in May to take on role of president of McCann Erickson Europe, Middle East, Africa and chairman and CEO of McCann U.K. group. Michael McLaren, worldwide director of global accounts, promoted to president of McCann Erickson U.S. Lori Senecal, chief innovation officer of McCann WorldGroup, was named general manager of New York HQ. John Lanaway joined as CFO of North America from Ogilvy & Mather. Created its eighth division, Consumer Participation, to focus on consumer behavior.

REGIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
Matt Ross, president of McCann San Francisco, created a new unit, T.A.G. S.F., with group cds Scott Duchon and Geoff Edwards for Microsoft's Xbox and Zune. Keshin merged Detroit and L.A. under Garry Neel, CEO of Detroit and global GM business.

GLOBAL HIGHLIGHTS
Wins include Harley-Davidson in Europe, the Middle East and Africa ($50 million), Tourism Authority of Thailand ($25 million), U.K.'s Evening Standard ($20 million), SEB Bank in Sweden ($40 million) and Reebok in Argentina ($5 million). Prasoon Joshi, "ad guru of India," upped to executive chairman, regional ecd Asia-Pacific. Formed global creative collective, headed by Joyce King Thomas.

COMMENTS
Agency seems to have lost some of its buzz with Gosper gone but still had strong year. New management in N.Y. would do well to make itself known. Of concern: In February, Microsoft awarded a branding project to Crispin; is the agency losing its grip on the business?

FINAL GRADE: B+

MERKLEY + PARTNERS

NUMBERS C
Billings up 11% to $797 million, revenue up 9% to $76 million. Won Schering-Plough's Miralax, Chlor-Trimeton, Drixoral ($30 million total), Pinnacle Foods' Aunt Jemima, Duncan Hines, Mrs. Butterworth's ($25 million total), media planning duties on all Pinnacle Foods' brands ($10 million), $15 million in new assignments from Ferrero USA. Fee upticks from Mercedes, Arby's, Axa also boosted numbers. Revenue from second half Schering win won't fully kick in until this year. No losses. Decent percentage gain in revenue represents small dollar increase.

CREATIVE B
Mercedes dealer TV spot resembling a faded home movie in which a boy proudly washes and drives a toy Mercedes captures the joy of car ownership and gracefully tees up voiceover, "How long have you waited?" Litany of performance feats reeled off in "Most" spot for Mercedes' M-Class looks impressive, but the rapid-fire, overlapping delivery fails to connect emotionally. Spot depicting a woman ricocheting Tic Tacs on desk, off cubical wall and into her mouth gives the brand a fun, playful spirit. Arby's spot in which a drive-through order taker gets carried away with his deep-voiced description of a new toasted sub delivers product points in an amusing way. Axa's 800-pound gorilla character, this time seated next to a fiftysomething guy in a sauna, succeeds due to this attention-grabbing odd couple and disarming delivery of the simian's financial planning pitch. Mrs. Butterworth's spot depicting the talking bottle through the years -- from old black-and-white to present-day color -- is nicely produced but reminds consumers how long the brand has stuck with the same creative concept.

MANAGEMENT B-
Good year for mining existing client relationships, with the agency expanding its Ferrero account and adding media planning tasks from Pinnacle Foods in September, eight months after joining client's creative roster. CEO Alex Gellert's late 2006 hire of Morgan Shorey as chief marketing officer was short-lived. Shorey exited at the end of August, nine months after she arrived. At the time, both Gellert and Shorey acknowledged that the shop and CMO weren't a good fit. Nevertheless, agency improved its pitch conversion ratio somewhat, winning 2 of 4 contests (vs. 1 of 6 in 2006). To gain insights into fast-food business for Arby's, shop in December hired Melinda Smart, a Pacific-Sierra region marketing director for McDonald's in San Francisco, in the new role of business strategy director. Co-executive creative directors Andy Hirsch and Randy Saitta steered Mercedes' performance-focused C-Class launch in September, the shop's first big campaign under new Mercedes-Benz USA vp of marketing Steve Cannon, who arrived in late June. (Cannon became Mercedes' fourth marketing chief in six years.) Despite sister shop BBDO landing lead global strategic duties on C-Class in 2006, Merkley produced its U.S. effort solo. By year's end, C-Class' U.S. sales had jumped 27%, to 63,701 units (from 50,187). All told, Mercedes sold 253,433 vehicles domestically, up 2% from 2006's total of 248,080, for its 14th consecutive year of growth.

COMMENTS
Nice start to 2008, with the Omnicom Group agency winning creative, media planning duties on Fuse ($5 million) in January; creative, media on Ruth's Chris Steak House ($10 million) in March; and creative, media planning on Breville ($10 million) in April. A February pitch for Atlantis Paradise Island resort ($15-20 million) proved fruitless, however, with the shop withdrawing before the final round. Gellert continues to search for a new CMO.

FINAL GRADE: B-

MULLEN

NUMBERS C
Billings and revenue each rose 8% to $1.14 billion and $151 million. Summer win Marshalls ($50 million) was by far the biggest addition. Other new business: Timberland media ($5 million); and several accounts in the $1-5 million range: UPromise, Virgin Money, Saks Fifth Avenue, Best Buy loyalty programs and Teach for America. Orbitz ($35 million), added in November 2006, kicked in during 2007. Among current clients, HSBC spending rose 65% to $50 million and MassMutual grew from $6 million to almost $30 million. On the downside, LendingTree fell 22% to $60 million, Wachovia dipped almost 15% to $120 million and T.J. Maxx was off 10% to $105 million. Won and lost $1.5 million Eos Airlines. Lost Sealy ($10 million) and Eastern Bank ($3 million). Revenue increase beat the average, but below-average financial results elsewhere hurt grade.

CREATIVE B
Spots are well cast and directed, but the scenarios are hit and miss. The wedding speech for T.J. Maxx, in which a guest gets choked up about her dress, scores by not going overboard, but efforts for Stanley (a hardhat uses his head to drive nails into a wall) and Orbitz (airport goodbyes that illustrate how the company could've provided quick info) try too hard to amuse and fall flat. LaQuinta spot in which a biz traveler gets "the corporate colors" all over his teeth when his pen explodes is so self-consciously goofy that it delivers. Web video promoting Wachovia's support for L.A. Live, with bank's colors streaming around a guitarist, energizes the client's image. Print ranks among the best today. Ingenious art direction defines Wachovia, with two images representing different retirement plans overlapping at the corners to symbolize how the company's plans help consumers attain their goals. Four Seasons ads use muted colors, airy design and simple copy -- "Could it be the farther you travel, the closer you become? -- to delineate luxury. LaQuinta employs cartoon artwork and jokey text to underscore its "Wake up on the bright side" positioning for the business traveler.

MANAGEMENT B-
CEO Joe Grimaldi and CCO Edward Boches steered Mullen to similar years in 2006 and 2007, with almost identical revenue growth in the high single digits (after a superb 2005, when the shop grew 24%). Went 9 for 15 in pitches, but failed to convert some key opportunities, coming up short in 2007 contests for Cadbury media, Medco, Bissell, Orkin, Mike's Hard Lemonade and Ideacast. Successfully defended $50 million Department of Defense account. Key exec hire was managing partner for digital, direct and analytics Ross Dobson, who joined from Digitas.

REGIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
Marshalls was a sizeable addition in the Winston-Salem, N.C., office, which also added work for Extended Stay and Teach for America. Changing of the guard in quiet-as-usual Pittsburgh outpost, with Brian Bronaugh ascending to president and CCO. (The office added Hollywood Tans as 2008 began.)

COMMENTS
This year is already off to a better start on the new business front as shop reeled in work for Adventures From Disney, Ryka and National Grid for perhaps $15 million combined. The bad news: Agency took a major hit in February, with LendingTree shifting most of its lead creative chores to Euro RSCG without a review, though Mullen retains media on the $60 million business. Plus, Mullen finds itself at press time defending Wachovia in a review.

FINAL GRADE: B-

OGILVY & MATHER

NUMBERS D
Billings up 6% to $2.32 billion; revenue flat at $600 million restated to include direct, interactive, promo. Won Kraft Foods' Oscar Mayer ($60 million), interactive duties on 10 other Kraft brands ($5 million); B2B, internal communications tasks on Aflac ($50 million); global duties on Motorola ($45 million in U.S.); ad duties on Six Flags ($40 million); global Louis Vuitton ($35 million in U.S.); Johnson & Johnson's Concerta ($20 million); Wyeth's Premarin ($12 million); Fage ($10 million); global interactive duties on Unilever's Dove ($6.5 million in U.S.). Lost American Express' Open ($80 million), Quiznos ($75 million), SABMiller's Foster's ($1 million). Fifth-best revenue-to-staff ratio prevents failing grade.

CREATIVE A-
"Onslaught" -- Dove's Web video successor to "Evolution" -- deftly uses a dizzying montage of ads, diet pitches and plastic surgery before urging, "Talk to your daughter before the beauty industry does." AmEx spot depicting frenetic day for Tina Fey effectively positions brand as calm problem solver amid the storm. Documentary short about how an IBM-served New York crime center tracked down a killer via a tattoo paints brand as heroic, contemporary. Eye-catching impressions made by Honora pearls, Tourneau watch in Fage yogurt print ads convey the product's richness as luxury. Bouncy music, colorful animation in unpretentious "Babies" spot for BP makes a gas station inviting. Hellman's broadband series about recipes, restaurants uses new media to breathe life into the brand. Motorola spot with man and woman using Razr phones as blades feels like a ripoff of The Matrix.

MANAGEMENT C
What happened to this once-formidable agency? Worldwide CEO Shelly Lazarus' shop lost bids for Wal-Mart (a re-pitch), Sprint, U.S. Census, Kraft crackers and Volvo, losing out on $1.3 billion in billings. Draught, client spending shifts triggered cut of about 40 jobs, or 2% of N.Y. staff, in April (and 4%, or 75 jobs, in January). Seeking to spread digital throughout shop, North American co-CEOs Bill Gray and Carla Hendra recruited former Razorfish CEO Jean-Philippe Maheu to become chief digital officer for N.A., a new position. Digital, direct media unit Neo@Ogilvy doubled its staff and revenue, due in part to 70% stake it took in Global Strategies International in March. Branded content and entertainment group, led by Doug Scott, developed documentaries for IBM, the Starter Wife miniseries for Ponds, broadband series for Hellmann's, online games for Time Warner, microsite for Maxwell House. N.Y. co-president Andy Berndt left in September to join Google Creative Lab, triggering shifts that put N.Y. in the hands of fewer chiefs. Hendra became chairman; co-CCO Chris Wall, vice chairman of creative; and co-president Michelle Bottomley, COO. Co-CCOs David Apicella, Jan Leth shifted to N.A. vice chairman of creative and global digital creative, respectively.

REGIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
In November, Campbell Mithun CEO Jack Rooney became Chicago office president and N.A. CEO of OgilvyAction. Culver City, Calif., and San Francisco in August aligned operations as Ogilvy West.

GLOBAL HIGHLIGHTS
Agency reconnected with Motorola around the world, a year after losing all but China, Latin America. In March, network took a 40% stake in Brazilian retail shop Empresa Tecnica de Comunicacao.

COMMENTS
Year started promisingly with ex-client Sears consolidating new direct, CRM account for Sears, Kmart at OgilvyOne. Under Hendra and Wall, N.Y. looks to rebound.

FINAL GRADE: C+

PUBLICIS & HAL RINEY

NUMBERS C
Billings up 1% to $650 million; revenue up 7% to $48 million. Won U.S. Cellular creative, media, digital and retail in May ($160 million). Added Beam Global Spirits brands Sauza, Tres Generaciones, Hornitos in July ($15 million combined). Added 24-Hour Fitness project. Pitched less, but won two of three contests. Derived first year of revenue from $30 million win of Pinnacle Foods (Hungry Man, Van De Camp's, Mrs. Paul's, Vlasic) in December 2006. Revenue from lost $90 million Sprint business-to-business lasted through May.

CREATIVE B-
First work for Hungry Man humorously highlights gender roles, with burly football fan daintily wiping buddy's mouth, construction workers repairing to the men's room en masse. Vlasic pickle spot showing men disco dancing on a construction site to the rhythm of their crunching jaws plays with gay stereotype and symbolism for dubious repositioning. Laid-back Wellpoint spot showing a man rising early to jog tells you that Anthem "rewards you for living healthy" but neglects to say how. First U.S.Cellular broadcast uses goofy humor -- customer stuffs three plums in his mouth and is offered a camera phone to cut through product -- point sobriety, establish personality while showing handset options. Fascinating 2-D sidewalk-size trompe l'oeil in San Francisco for Red Cross demonstrates what quake-exposed underground parking garage would look like from above; a two-sided truck billboard rolled into downtown S.F., matched to the buildings like a matte painting, shows calamitous destruction. Bus shelters for AAA split between a sign ("Members get up to 20% off shoes") and a lower-half mirror exposing pedestrians footwear. Beringer print with Chardonnay label turned into paper art of relaxing couple dead ends on "How to get to Napa Valley" theme, but tied-in animated spot showing process intrigues and relaxes. Simulated online accident seen from various angles for AAA is neither gory enough to inspire game play nor pointed enough for serious information seekers. Mrs. Paul's print ad daring consumers to call in to discover other fish-stick makers' recipes is an uninspired call to action with worthless payoff. Better is Wellpoint work that enlivens healthcare category with fun facts for Empire BlueCross/BlueShield: "In 1995, 250 New Yorkers were bitten by rats. (And 1,401 were bitten by humans.)"

MANAGEMENT C+
Following a dismal 40% drop in revenue in 2006, Riney needed a turnaround, and got one with the installation of Jamie King and Roger Camp. In July, King, 36, became president, replacing then-CEO Karen Francis, who six months earlier raised King from svp, director of brand integration to general manager. King brought the agency back from the abyss by building new business unit with Eric Dunn and Tim Muleeny, and revamping creative with the hiring of CCO Roger Camp, 37. As a freelancer in 2006, Camp, formerly of Wieden + Kennedy in Portland, helped Riney win critical Pinnacle Foods and Altoids pitches. Former ecd Jon Soto moved to BBDO. In July, King added David Verhoef as agency's first head of integrated production, reuniting Camp with his former and favorite producer. To give the agency a research edge for existing client and new business pitches and focus on what he calls category-changing ideas, King formally aligned with BuzzSponge for virtual, real-time access to 30,000 online consumers.

COMMENTS
Consideration in 2007 Jenny Craig and 2008 Mitsubishi reviews shows agency has maintained its creative reputation through a dark time. Legendary founder Hal Riney, who died in March 2008 at 79, lived long enough to see his namesake shop on the rise again.

FINAL GRADE: C+

PUBLICIS USA

NUMBERS A
Billings up 17% to $3.9 billion. Revenue up 21% to $458 million. Won Citi ($150 million), Oral-B ($100 million), LG Electronics digital ($100 million), Sylvan Learning Center($80 million), Alcon Labs Opti-Free ($25 million), Terminix ($20 million), Levolor ($20 million), Graco ($15 million), BMW holiday project. No losses.

CREATIVE B
Bob Moore comfortably transitions into his first full year as national CCO while N.Y. CCO Rob Feakins inches output forward. Man keeps calling pizza place while pretending he is talking to a celebrity to hilarious results for T-Mobile. Prilosec features overly long faux soap opera that goes nowhere. HP uses animation to show how the company helps "set IT free," but it only adds to the chaos the spot promises to clean up. Metamucil repositioning from health to beauty product may be good way to attract new consumers, but far from convincing. Garnier Nutritioniste TV and print are standard category fare. Nationwide search for a new Maytag repairman generates reams of free PR; underwhelming TV spot has Maytag man fixing a factory that makes plush toys. Placing plastic toilets in Manhattan locales is an attention-getting way to remind consumers of the power of Pepto-Bismol. Vault5000 uses fake race to sell energy drink with hokey results.

MANAGEMENT A-
CEO Susan Gianinno led the agency to its fifth consecutive year of 20% revenue growth, with Citi moving its business over from sibling Fallon in April and a winning pitch against incumbent BBDO for P&G's global Oral B business in March. Following holding company Publicis Groupe's acquisition of Digitas, agency deepened its digital capabilities by merging Modem Media into the Publicis USA network, a move that contributed to the December win of a global digital assignment from LG Electronics. Added Chris Shumaker as CMO in January. Agency combined interactive and direct to form Publicis Modem & Dialog; Dani Nadel and Michael Smith were promoted to presidents of East and West, respectively, and Steve Farrell and Mauro Alencar were named ecds. Patrick Clarke, cd at Atmosphere, joined digital arm, Publicis Dialog, as ecd in March, replacing Chris Matyszczyk who left the agency. Engagement director Mark Hider reorganized planning department into a strategy group, added nine strategists in New York.

REGIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
New York added Rubbermaid's Levolor and Graco brands. Dallas won Terminix, Sylvan and Alcon's Opti-Free brand. Seattle created winning concept, "Let's get it done," for global Citibank pitch; added Dan Fietsam, a former DDB Chicago cd on Bud Light, as co-ecd of Publicis West Seattle, working on T-Mobile with Moore. Seattle designed new concept stores for T-Mobile in four cities.

GLOBAL HIGHLIGHTS
N.Y. leads and wins global Citigroup and Oral-B pitches, with Seattle. Katie Bury takes over as worldwide account director for P&G Family Care brands from Angela Pasqualucci, who now runs global Oral-B account in N.Y. Among network's wins overseas: Publicis Mojo New Zealand won international Coke Light ($20 million). U.K. won Airbus ($20 million). Berlin won Easy Jet ($20 million). India won Capgemini ($28 million).

COMMENTS
May not be as high profile as some or as buzz-worthy as others, but this agency gets the job done. Spent much of last year better aligning digital and direct capabilities, with clients such as P&G taking notice. Will diversified resources deliver even greater returns in 2008?

FINAL GRADE: A-

THE RICHARDS GROUP

NUMBERS C-
Billings and revenue each up 4% to $1.25 billion and $166 million, respectively. Won Centex Homes ($30 million), Advance Auto Parts ($20 million), Orkin ($20 million), Southern Company ($13 million), Amstel Light ($9 million), now-defunct Skybus Airlines ($2 million), Bill Me Later, The Little Gym, MGM Mirage CityCenter ($2 million). Added Japan to Bridgestone, Canada to Firestone, five more Vanity Fair lines. Lost Hyundai Motor America brand ($600 million while preserving Hyundai Eastern Region Dealers Association worth $25 million), Comcast Business Services, Goody's Family Clothing ($15 million), Bombardier Flexjet media, Michaels Imaginate. Replaced $20 million Hyundai revenue with several small pieces of business as well as some organic growth.

CREATIVE C+
Bridgestone ballet of choreographed car stunts variously intersecting and swerving into parking spot is like poetry for men. "Apple of my eye" duet for Fruit of the Loom starring fruit-costumed crooner and Vince Gill strikes a nice pose between real sentiment and genre parody. Warring game characters discussing their boredom in GameStop spot laser-targets the jaded player ripe for rental; print of ghost rising against black background turns morbidity into fun, suggesting that gamer heaven is "Where you go after you die a couple hundred times." QuikTrip "serious" sandwich offer from co-worker inspiring his Fatal Attraction fantasy stretches thin joke. Firestone heritage spot ending with logo contracting to "First" features irresistibly nostalgic imagery, atones for weak voiceover copy. Single mom using Home Depot as personal-empowerment tool is flattened by paid endorsement disclosure and matronizing overtones. Faucet in landscape-fount context stresses imaginative design for Expo Design Center print. Busy, colorful Michaels Imaginate "Ode to a Hot Glue Gun" full-pager risks suggesting a craft-making accident for a childlike poem. Gran Patron Platinum's "Make Someone's Decade" brings out premium quality for gifting, highlights bottled elegance. Pork-serving mom ticketed by cop in kitchen ("Incredible meals. Really fast.") and recipe tease speed readers to The Other White Meat Web site. Getting-dressed diagram for BVD at J.C. Penney -- with women's side a hysterical mess and men's side just distinguishing between models and guys, works as jocular tweak. Broccoli photographed as a verdant forest makes a gorgeous spread for Sub-Zero "Fresh is everything" campaign.

MANAGEMENT C
Founder and CCO Stan Richards tried to keep shop from being dispirited after losing biggest account, Hyundai, in December 2006. Sensing that the agency was falling behind in digital, Richards placed an emphasis on retraining 90 account managers to operate better online. One of Hyundai's lead creatives, Steve Levit, must have seen it coming and left for McCann Erickson L.A. and a short-lived Buick opportunity before announcement that Richards lost almost all of Hyundai to Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, leaving group cd Mike Malone to run out the clock. During the review, director of brand planning Joel Ewanick left the shop for the client side, joining COO Steve Wilhite as Hyundai's vp of marketing. After the loss, principal Steve Cannon left for Mercedes-Benz.

COMMENTS
Richards' long-standing policy of not defending departing business is interesting given some Hyundai dealers have said they want the agency back on the brand, and Richards has started winning back some of the carmaker's assignments.

FINAL GRADE: C

SAATCHI & SAATCHI

NUMBERS A-
Billings up 13% to $4.28 billion, revenue up 20% to $331 million. Won lead duties on Wendy's ($305 million), global duties on Novartis' Lamisil, Fenistil, CIBA Vision Dailies, Night & Day, 02 Optix ($120 million in the U.S.), $40 million in Procter & Gamble line extensions (Crest, Olay, Tide, Iams, Scope), SABMiller's Miller High Life ($25 million), $20 million in General Mills line extensions (Yoplait, Fruit Roll Ups, Green Giant), Empire State Development ($20 million), EMI Music ($5 million in U.S.). Revenue from December 2006 J.C. Penney win also kicked in. Sole loss: P&G's PUR ($30 million).

CREATIVE B+
Tide "silence the stain" TV spot depicting a talking shirt stain drowning out a guy interviewing for a job injects humor into category dulled by product demos. Whimsical holiday spot for Penney's in which a little girl gathers building materials and constructs a rocket ship uses music (John Lennon's "Real Love") and details to make the brand feel warm, friendly. The red eyes of a woman in a Cascade print ad grab your attention before revealing a reflection of clean dishes in her kitchen cabinet. Creation of a video game featuring Toyota's Yaris connects smartly with young adult target. Odd image of men and women jumping into holes like lemmings in Wendy's spot pulls you in but leaves you wanting more than "I deserve a hot juicy burger." Yoplait Light spot in which a seamstress misunderstands a woman's request to have a pile of clothes taken in after the woman says she has eaten Boston cream pie and apple turnovers explains in screen copy, "18 yummy Yoplait Light flavors. Only 70 calories."

MANAGEMENT A-
Worldwide CEO Kevin Roberts' agency delivered its third straight year of double-digit growth. Publicis shop also put in a strong showing at Cannes, with the New York office -- in Tony Granger's third year as CCO -- winning Agency of the Year. Among N.Y.'s awards: press Grand Prix for its campaign for P&G's Ultra Tide Stain Remover. Shop won 4 of 8 new business pitches, down from 6 of 8 in 2006. In April, Roberts promoted North American strategic planning director Sandy Thompson to worldwide director of strategic planning. To lead N.Y. planning, office CEO Mary Baglivo hired Arnold CMO Kristin Volk as director of strategic planning. Worldwide cd Bob Isherwood in June named branding vet Carlos Sanchez to new worldwide cd role at retail marketing arm Saatchi & Saatchi X. Solid year ended sourly when Granger resigned to become worldwide cd at Young & Rubicam.

REGIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
Torrance, Calif., office ecd Harvey Marco added four cds to his Toyota team: Leo Circo from Young & Rubicam; Mike Barton from design shop Landor Associates; Andrew Christou from Moxie Pictures; and Alex Flint from Modernista!.

GLOBAL HIGHLIGHTS
London CEO Lee Daley left in February, after 2 1/2 years, for Manchester United. Task of running London became Robert Senior's in August, when the managing director at sister shop Fallon in London was named U.K. CEO of a new alliance called SSF Group. Roberts assumed global leadership of the group, which sought to jump-start Fallon in the U.S. and Saatchi in the U.K.

COMMENTS
Year starts poorly with Wendy's killing the "Red Wig" campaign in favor of food-focused fare from fellow roster shop (and new lead agency) Kirshenbaum Bond + Partners. The sting of Granger's November resignation was lessened by Roberts' February hire of TBWA\Chiat\Day N.Y.'s Gerry Graf to succeed him.

FINAL GRADE: A-

TBWA\CHIAT\DAY

NUMBERS C-
Billings down 5% to $2.65 billion; revenue up 3% to $339 million from a restated $323 million (to reflect closing of San Francisco office). Won Washington Mutual ($100 million), Hotels.com ($60 million), Procter & Gamble's PUR ($30 million), Cablevision Systems Corp.'s digital marketing, commerce division ($20 million), global Pioneer flat-panel displays ($18 million in U.S.), Pivot cable consortium ($10 million), Method ($5 million). Lost Sprint ($300 million), Sony PlayStation ($100 million), Hoover ($40 million). U.S. duties on Adidas ($40 million) shifted to sister shop 180 in Los Angeles. Apple revenue grew substantially via iPhone launch ($90 million media spend). Estimated $10 million hit from November's PlayStation loss wasn't felt until 2008. Good revenue-to-staff ratio ups grade.

CREATIVE A-
Apple remains the star of the reel with a variety of approaches, be it character-driven "Mac v. PC" spots, colorful print silhouette of an iPod user or elegant demonstrations of how the iPhone works. TV spot for Skittles in which everything a guy touches turns into the candy captures the brand's offbeat "Catch the rainbow" bent. Visa spot depicting a whirlwind of circus-like motion inside a toy store that suddenly halts when someone pays by check makes the brand seem indispensable. Nissan Rogue spot that turns city streets into a tilting marble maze puts a welcome twist on automotive ads. Integrated effort for Pedigree connects with "Dogs rule" target via broader mission of pet adoption, gives the brand heft, humanity. Spot for PlayStation 3 looks and feels like the game, but its quick cuts, loud music overwhelm at times.

MANAGEMENT B-
Worldwide president Tom Carroll, 52, in December succeeded Jean-Marie Dru, 60, as worldwide CEO. Dru moved to chairman, and chairman, CCO Lee Clow, 64, became global director of media arts. Carroll's rise recognized his global client management skills and innate feel for Chiat's creative culture. Tough year for New York, which ultimately bowed out of a review launched in January by its largest client, Sprint ($30 million in revenue). Beyond the financial hit, which triggered a 5% staff cut (18 jobs) in February, the loss stripped N.Y. of a creative platform beyond Mars. The shop's "Get a Mac" campaign for Apple won the Grand Effie-the agency's 12th in 27 years. Carroll in September lured JWT's Colleen DeCourcy with the new global role of chief digital officer. U.S. pitch conversions -- 6 of 10 -- slipped slightly from 2006's 8 of 12. In June, North American president Robert LePlae made Corey Mitchell, worldwide managing director on Mars, president of N.Y.

REGIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
N.Y. won 2 of 4 pitches -- up from 1 of 3 in 2006. Parent Omnicom in March converted S.F. into Cutwater, a boutique led by TBWA\C\D North American cd Chuck McBride and Brad Harrington, co-president at Cole & Weber/Red Cell.

GLOBAL HIGHLIGHTS
In May, international president Keith Smith hired Publicis U.K. Group chairman Tim Lindsay for new role of CEO of TBWA Group U.K., effective in July. Wins included global Singapore Airlines ($100 million, Singapore) and pan-European Infiniti ($30 million, Paris).

COMMENTS
January's resignation of Gerry Graf (to become CCO at Saatchi N.Y.) and Y&R's poaching of group cds Scott Vitrone, Ian Reichenthal in February depleted bench strength on Mars. This month, Carroll tapped Y&R Chicago CCO Mark Figliulo to be CCO, chairman of N.Y.

FINAL GRADE: B-

WIEDEN + KENNEDY

NUMBERS C
Billings up 9% to $910 million. Revenue up 11% to $91 million. Portland won CareerBuilder.com ($60 million), Converse media (with N.Y.), Heineken ($100 million), the latter arriving too late to impact 2007 revenue. N.Y. won ABC media ($20 million), Cole Haan ($12 million), Fathead ($12 million). Portland lost small spend on Nike+, Nike Running and P&G's Eukanuba, which it traded for Graham Webb (N.Y., under $1 million) and Old Spice interactive (Portland). N.Y. lost (with Tokyo) Sharp Aquos ($75 million). Small revenue base prevents higher grade.

CREATIVE A-
Flawless spoof of popular video game transforms its star from vandal to hero in Coca-Cola spot when he distributes beverage rather than mayhem. Nike "Leave Nothing" spot offers engrossing view of football player battling for touchdown in rain and snow. "Second Coming" Nike spot dramatically introduces Air Force 25 shoes and lineup of NBA stars. Nike interactive TV execution for Zoom allows viewers to see signature moves of players, play game. Starbucks holiday TV campaign warms consumers with sweet and simple animated spots featuring stories of animals and humans sharing Starbucks products; consumers could "pass the cheer," track global chain of greetings on Web site. ESPN SportsCenter spots continue to generate laughs with one showing Shaquille O'Neal as policeman rescuing LSU's Tiger mascot from tree at ESPN parking lot. Old Spice "Experience is everything" TV, print, Web campaign stars Bruce Campbell in hilarious look at masculinity.

MANAGEMENT B
In August, creative directors Jelly Helm and Steve Luker, and former Chiat\Day managing director Tom Blessington put in charge of Portland operations by Dan Wieden, freeing him to act more as global CCO (his title) and support agency's expansion abroad. Global COO Dave Luhr and ecd John Jay remain in Portland, but given global responsibilities. Portland partner Susan Hoffman took on management of in-house ad school, W+K12.

REGIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
In N.Y. Kevin Proudfoot's creative direction for ESPN spot led to Peabody-winning Nimrod Nation series on Sundance Channel. N.Y. also took TV lead on Nike AF 25 campaign.

GLOBAL HIGHLIGHTS
Worldwide billings, revenue up 18% to $1.65 billion and $165 million, respectively. London led Nokia global win ($120 million). Amsterdam added Coke Zero, lost Carlsberg. Tokyo won Google and Sapporo. Agency opened second office in China (Beijing) for Coca-Cola and Nokia China Olympic commitments; won Google and Nike. Recruited Iris Lo from M&C Saatchi Hong Kong to run shop with cd Frank Hahn and managing director Kel Hook. Network expanded to Delhi, India, where it partnered with Mohit Dhar Jayal and V. Sunil, formerly managing director and ecd, respectively, of "A" Creative Agency. Network added digital talent led by Renny Gleeson, who came from Carat to become global director of interactive strategies, and Joakim Borgstrom for Amsterdam office. Named Adweek's 2007 Global Agency of the Year.

COMMENTS
Now creating culturally relevant work in six countries on three continents, agency is firing on all cylinders. Started '08 with popular Super Bowl spot (for Coke) and another Honda win (Tokyo for Asia-Pacific in February), suggesting management restructuring is working.

FINAL GRADE: B

YOUNG & RUBICAM

NUMBERS C
Billings up 4% to $3.81 billion, revenue up 7% to $362 million. Won global LG ($100 million in U.S.), Jenny Craig ($60 million), Toshiba computers, HD DVD ($25 million), Bayer's Qlaira ($25 million), James Hardie ($18 million), Rubbermaid containers ($10 million), NetAp ($10 million), Autobytel.com ($8 million), Pony ($6 million), National Hockey League ($5 million). Lost Weight Watchers ($70 million), Toys R Us ($10 million). Revenue upticks from existing clients Campbell's, Accenture, Colgate also helped. December's LG win came too late to boost revenue.

CREATIVE C+
Sears' "Chapters" TV spot deftly knits products and family, creating a polished yet homey feel for the retailer. Spot for Campbell's low-sodium soups in which a chef gets drenched on a beach provides an amusing back story as to how Campbell's arrived at the sea salt recipe. Land Rover spot starts promisingly with cinematic images of molten lava but ends unoriginally with the image of car on cliff above crashing waters. Attitudinal text message in Palm print ad ("Hangovers suck. 4 on 5 sucks more. Need you.") seems forced, disconnected from straightforward copy about device features. Simple image of black animated "A to B" line on white backdrop in Hilton spot comes to life via pop music and down-to-earth "Travel should take you places" message. Image of V-8 bottles woven together like a zipper to illustrate the goal of trimming down is Target-like but effectively pulls you into copy about how the product helps maintain a healthy weight.

MANAGEMENT B-
Hamish McLennan, in his first full year as worldwide CEO, managed modest growth after two years of flat revenue. In November, he recruited Saatchi & Saatchi N.Y. CCO Tony Granger to become worldwide cd, a role Michael Patti vacated in December 2006. Seeking to grow global interactive revenue from 3% to 15% by 2010, McLennan in May brought back Tarik Sedky in the new global position of chief digital officer. Sedky, a former Y&R account managing director, most recently had been managing director of client services at Atmosphere BBDO. Shop lost pitches for Sprint, U.S. Census, Miller Lite, N.Y. State Lottery, Hotels.com, Smith Barney, Alliance for Climate Protection, Chicago White Sox. In July, N.Y. director of account management Shelley Diamond became managing partner, filling a vacancy left by the May 2006 exit of Mary Maroun.

REGIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
In May, Chicago CCO Mark Figliulo hired Cramer-Krasselt group cd Ken Erke in the new role of ecd. Gateway svp of consumer marketing Kristen Simmons in March joined the Irvine, Calif., office as CMO, a new post.

GLOBAL HIGHLIGHTS
London CEO James Murphy, ecd Ben Priest, planning director David Golding quit in June to open their own shop. In July, md Richard Exon rose to CEO and in November the shop hired Mother cd Damon Collins as ecd, effective February 2008. Wins included Kimberly-Clark's Huggies in Singapore, Philip Morris' Trend in Russia and DHL in Argentina.

COMMENTS
Since January, this WPP shop has lost Dr Pepper ($35 million), Miller Chill ($25 million) and Callaway Golf ($15 million). McLennan is looking to Granger and newly named North American president, CEO Tom Seebok (from BBDO) to fuel momentum, after exits of N.A. CCO Gary Goldsmith, Figliulo.

FINAL GRADE: C+

ZIMMERMAN

NUMBERS B+
Billings up 16% to $2.15 billion, revenue up 12% to $280 million. Won Lennar ($30 million), Nissan Hispanic ($25 million), hhgregg ($25 million), Integrated Beverage's Power Ice and Throat Cooler ($20 million combined), Friendly's ($12 million), Tire Kingdom ($8 million), Longs Drugstore ($20 million), Fury sports gear ($5 million), You footwear ($5 million), Mississippi Gulf Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau. Lost some Six Flags ($40 million), but remains on roster. Better-than-average revenue-to-staff ratio improved grade.

CREATIVE C
Inspiration for fashion brand Crocs improves the reel. Integrated campaign positions shoes as scientific, not fashion achievement, with material applicable to non-shoe stuff, wins on originality. Spot in which a man apoplectic over ugliness of the shoes ("Why are you wearing these? Why, why, why?") tries and fails to rip them apart makes great product points with levity and memorable tag ("What a Croc!"). Adorable girl with fairy wand fantasizing about her pink Crocs' visibility in outer space and boxing-promotion blowhard Don King touting Crocs' "material-ific fantasti-tude" stand as some of the best spots in agency's recent years. Print lifts brand with the beauty of black-and-white/color executions, eye-catching type and photography. Six Flags' crude comic-book-panel animation dubiously repositions parks for older, wilder partier, including yahoo who drinks a Coke and pukes up his funnel cake. CG-animated spot in which Fury hockey gear morphs into fearsome creatures (cobra, scorpion) effectively targets player taste. Nissan Xterra spot starring handsome guy who's told he's "missed a spot" while cleaning, remembers his surfing, kayaking and biking adventures, responds he didn't, moves briskly, looks nice. Even better is lightly obvious Versa spot with '50s-style scientist using a pointer and flickering film to diagram the benefits of smaller car, 36 mph fuel efficiency. Continuation of "You are here" campaign for Six Flags, with print emphasizing woodiness of El Toro roller coaster ("What trees want to be when they grow up," "It's good to have wood"), is merely serviceable. Nissan Altima Hybrid print is visually busy, but crafts a nice headline, "Because curves need hugs as bad as trees do."

MANAGEMENT B-
Founder and chairman Jordan Zimmerman continues to try to reshape the shop's profile into something more than a retail machine by adding an ex-TBWA\Chiat\Day and DDB strategy officer to the executive ranks in September with the hiring of Bezos/Nathanson principal David Nathanson as an evp, ecd. Omnicom shop can now align retail and brand by teaming the more visually oriented Nathanson on brand with the copywriting/sales-driving Zev Auerbach on retail. New business team, which includes president and COO Pat Patregnani, evp and managing director David Kissell and evp and CMO Michael Goldberg, was much more aggressive, winning 10 of 11 reviews, effectively doubling pitches while staying on its pitch/win ratio. Expanded its Ztrac Total Retail Accountability Center success-measurement tool and spun the Pick-n-Click "virtual ad agency" Internet ordering system into a self-contained unit.

COMMENTS
This year started by winning $50 million three-year anti-smoking campaign from Florida Department of Health. Remains to be seen if shop can build on performance to fulfill founder's desires for a creative reputation.

FINAL GRADE: GRADE B-