Rapp Collins to Build Brinker Brands Sans TV

DALLAS Omnicom Group’s Rapp Collins Worldwide has won the $20 million advertising account for Brinker International’s restaurant chains that include Romano’s Grill, On the Border Mexican Grill & Cantina and Maggiano’s Little Italy, the agency said.

Under its new advertising approach, the Brinker restaurants are dropping TV commercials in favor of direct marketing and targeted brand building, the client said.

Five shops were originally selected to compete for the account. But Kirshenbaum Bond in San Francisco and Downtown Partners in Chicago withdrew when the TV component of the account was eliminated, leaving Euro RSCG of Dallas and Chicago’s Draft facing Rapp Collins.

Becky