Digitas Replaces N.Y. Shops on VLC

BOSTON Virgin Life Care, the new fitness and wellness offshoot of Virgin, has done a 180-degree turn and let go two MDC Partners-backed shops it hired last month. To replace them, the client has contracted independent Digitas here to handle the brand’s launch in early 2006, sources said.

In late July the Wellesley, Mass.-based client tapped Cliff Freeman and Partners and Dotglu, both in New York, to handle brand and interactive advertising chores, respectively. But after VLC’s creative services liaison Martha Hooper left the project, the client re-examined the pitches and opted to consolidate the duties at Digitas instead, according to sources.