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Jiffy Lube Meets With Agencies for $18 Mil. BizDALLAS—Presentations begin today for the $18 million account of Jiffy Lube, with four or five agencies in the running, sources said. The meetings are spread out over the next few weeks, with a decision expected the last week of May. The Houston-based client sent out requests for proposals several weeks ago to 13 agencies, according to sources. Incumbent The Richards Group in Dallas is not participating; nor is GSD&M, Austin, Texas, which handles creative for parent company Pennzoil-Quaker State.Layoffs Continue Across the U.S.SAN FRANCISCO—Citing the economic slowdown, FCB in San Francisco cut its work force by 12 percent last week. Roughly 30 workers were let go across all departments. The reductions came shortly after the shop's $400 million AT&T Wireless business went into review. FCB's New York office is defending the account. The shop also factored in the consolidation of the Compaq business at FCB in New York when making the cuts. Separately last week, Lowe Lintas & Partners in New York laid off 18 staffers. The cuts followed the layoffs of about 37 late last year [Adweek, Dec. 4]. BBDO in Minneapolis laid off 3 employees, about 4 percent of its staff of 75, including group creative director Nancy Rice. Martin/Williams in Minneapolis laid off 19 employees, about 6 percent of its staff. And in New Orleans, Duke Creative Marketing Solutions had its second round of layoffs this year, downsizing from 14 staffers to five on April 30. Young & Rubicam in recent weeks laid off six staffers at its Dearborn, Mich., office, including COO John Gillis.Tonic Adds Two CreativesSAN FRANCISCO—Tonic 360@JWT, which quickly jumped to the major leagues after landing the Sun Microsystems account, has hired two creative veterans to handle the $100 million business. The agency last week named Doug Patterson and Toby Barlow creative directors on the account. The duo will work for managing partner and creative director Fred Schwartz on the business. Barlow, 35, spent the past two years freelancing for various shops after working as a creative director at TBWA\Chiat\Day in New York on brands including Seagrams and Barnes & Noble. Prior to joining Tonic, Patterson was freelancing. His last agency job was svp and group creative director at FCB in 1999.Account ActivityThe March of Dimes has issued an RFP for a new public-awareness campaign, which will most likely focus on preventing premature births. The White Plains, N.Y.-based client is searching for a shop with experience in health education or social marketing; this is a new assignment. Budget was undisclosed, but the client spent about $500,000 on advertising last year, per CMR. Letters of intent are due back by May 11, with a decision expected at the end of July. … Broadband-service provider Charter Communications' ad account is in play, the client confirmed. Billings in 2000, according to CMR, were about $4 million, a figure that doesn't include advertising run through Charter's media outlets. Simmons Durham in St. Louis is the incumbent on the account.

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