Hotlinenewswire

Y&R Off Roster in Whitehall-Robins ShiftNEW YORK—Whitehall-Robins has eliminated New York-based Young & Rubicam from its U.S. agency roster, shifting creative and media duties for its Advil brand, which also includes children's and cold and sinus medications, to roster shop Grey without a review. The estimated $80 million in business had been handled by Y&R since 1985. Grey's MediaCom will handle media planning. Buying is handled by the Madison, N.J.-based client. Grey in New York will now handle upwards of $150 million in business from Whitehall-Robins. It already works on brands such as Preparation H, Anbesol, Chapstick and Robitussin. Y&R will continue to handle Whitehall-Robins brands in Canada and Latin America. Separately, sources said W-R has launched a review for its Dimetapp cough medicine, also currently at Y&R and its media arm, The Media Edge, both New York. Sources said the incumbents were not invited to defend and that the client had contacted nonroster agencies. The company put more than $10 million behind the brand in 2000.Arizona Examines Bid Process for Anti-Smoking Work LOS ANGELES—Just weeks after awarding its anti-smoking account to E.B. Lane Marketing Communications in Phoenix, the Arizona Department of Health Services has come under fire over its bid selection process. Two Phoenix shops that were finalists for the account have filed protests with the Arizona Department of Administration State Procurement Office: Riester-Robb, which had handled the account for more than five years and laid off 16 staffers after losing it, and Moses Anshell. The account is worth $10-15 million a year, with the option to renew four times. Last week, the Procurement Office issued an interim stay of the contract while it evaluates certain ADHS documents.Mail Boxes Etc. Selects Doner for $20 Mil. AccountDETROIT—Doner picked up Mail Boxes Etc.'s $20 million account. The San Diego client split with incumbent Ogilvy & Mather in Los Angeles in February. Other finalists were Campbell-Ewald Advertising in Warren, Mich.; Bernstein-Rein in Kansas City, Mo.; and McCann-Erickson, Los Angeles. It has not been determined if Doner will handle the account from its Southfield, Mich., headquarters or its office in Newport Beach, Calif.Senate to Debate DTC AdsWASHINGTON—Opponents of direct-to-consumer ads for prescription drugs have stepped up efforts to restrict the ads as the Senate is poised to debate the issue this week. Rep. Fortney "Pete" Stark, D-Calif., introduced a bill in the House that would require pharmaceutical companies to equally weigh the benefits and risks of a drug in each ad, or lose the tax deduction taken for the cost of making the ad. Print ads would have to display pros and cons in the same typeface and space, while broadcast ads would give equal air time. Advertisers counter that the ads help consumers make more informed decisions.Bcom3 Revenue Up 17 Percent in 1QCHICAGO—Bcom3 reported net income of $2.6 million for the first quarter of 2001 in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, up from the first quarter of 2000, when the Chicago company posted a $65 million net income loss because of a one-time-only $72 million charge relating to the merger that formed it. Revenue was $447 million, up 17 percent from $381 million during the same period last year.Fruit of the Loom Returns With $10-15 Mil. CampaignDALLAS—After a two-year hiatus, Fruit of the Loom returns to television this week with a campaign from new agency The Richards Group. With an estimated $10-15 million budget, the campaign introduces a new tagline, "Good days start with Fruit of the Loom." One ad shows men getting dressed and rehearsing saying "I do" in front of the mirror. In another, women rehearse telling husbands they're pregnant. A third shows kids practicing their smiles in preparation for picture day at school. The spots will air on national network, cable and syndicated programming.Newswire RoundupMerkley Newman Harty & Partners in New York has landed ad duties for time-management firm Franklin Covey Co. in Salt Lake City. Billings are estimated at $15-20 million. The win, which was expected [Adweek, July 9], came after a review that also involved Euro RSCG/DSW Partners in Salt Lake City and the team of Publicis Dialog and Publicis Technology, San Francisco. … Brown-Forman Beverages is considering roster shops for its $10 million Canadian Mist account, sources said. Contenders include Arnold in St. Louis (formerly Simmons Durham), the Creative Alliance in Louisville, Ky., and Carmichael Lynch in Minneapolis. Officials at Nashville, Tenn.-based Brown-Forman could not be reached, and an incumbent could not be ascertained. … Bcom3 agency Pure D'Arcy and Dentsu operation BAM-SSB merged operations in Sydney to create D'Arcy Australia. Nigel Marsh, former client services director at D'Arcy London, will head up the new agency, while Pure D'Arcy chief creative officer Mark Collis will take the same role at the merged shop. In March, Bcom3 and Dentsu merged their Australian media operations under the Starcom Worldwide banner. … BBDO in Minneapolis established an integrated marketing department. It will be headed by director of integration Timothy Wilson and director of integrated creative Yves Roux. … DraftWorldwide picked up creative duties for Brink's Home Security, an estimated $10 million account formerly at Deutsch in New York. Draft's Chicago office plans direct response TV, direct mail and print ads for the Irving, Texas-based client.

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