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Deutsch Taking Over Mitsubishi, G2 to Close LOS ANGELES - Deutsch is effectively taking over Mitsubishi Motor Sales of America's $100 million factory account, said sources, as incumbent shop G2 Advertising plans to close by October. Deutsch chairman Donny Deutsch declined to comment on whether his shop, which recently beat Huntington Beach, Calif.-based G2 in a showdown to handle the launch of the client's new Galant model, will take over the rest of the business. "We're very focused on the Galant launch, and we're helping [Mitsubishi] out any way we can," he said. The agency plans to hire 30-50 new people at its Deutsch/LA office in Marina del Rey, Calif., over the next few months to handle increased business, he said. The shop will not hire staff from G2. Deutsch/LA will use Galant to launch a new branding campaign for Mitsubishi that will replace G2's current "Built for living." The new factory ads will be integrated with the agency's work on Mitsubishi's consolidated dealer account, Deutsch said. G2 parent Grey Advertising in New York said G2 will remain open until its Mitsubishi contract expires in October. Boston Chicken Trims Ad Budget LOS ANGELES - Boston Chicken will reduce its ad spending from 10 percent to 6 percent of total revenues as part of a companywide effort to reduce debt, according to a company representative. The Golden, Colo.-based company, which operates the Boston Market, restaurant chain, will eliminate print advertising and concentrate on TV, said Karen Rugen, a Boston Chicken representative. Total ad spending was nearly $120 million last year. First-quarter revenues were approximately $322 million, compared with $382 for the same quarter in 1997. Suissa Miller Advertising, Los Angeles, is Boston Market's agency of record. Reviews Roundup. . . Interfocus Makes Sony Bid Interfocus, a London-based integrated marketing unit of Lowe & Partners U.K., is a contender in the $20 million review for Sony Electronics' HiFD, a high-capacity computer data storage product, sources said. Other contenders are roster shops Winkler Advertising, San Francisco, and The Harrington Group, Morristown, N.J., as well as Suissa Miller Advertising in Los Angeles. . . Questionnaires were due last week in the review for Aramark Uniform and Apparel Group. Eight contenders will be selected, according to sources. A decision is expected in July. Select Resources International, Los Angeles, is conducting the review for the Schaumburg, Ill.-based client. . . DDB Needham, San Francisco, is one of three agencies vying for the $10 million account of Weight Watchers Gourmet's Smart Ones frozen foods. Other contenders are Bozell and Jordan McGrath Case & Partners, both in New York. For the Record Abar Hutton Media in Alexandria, Va., handles media planning and buying for California gubernatorial candidate Al Checchi. Western International Media in Los Angeles previously handled [Adweek, May 18].

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