Gevalia Leaves Draftfcb After All

Draftfcb's successful defense of Kraft Foods' Gevalia coffee was short-lived.

Eight months after retaining the Gevalia creative business after a review, the Interpublic Group shop has lost the assignment to Taxi—one of the contenders in the earlier pitch. (The others were Droga5 and Being, a unit of TBWA.)

A Kraft representative confirmed the shift. Revenue on the business is estimated at almost $2 million.

To date, marketing for Gevalia coffee and coffeemakers has been limited to direct mail and an occasional direct-response TV ad. Kraft is expected to broaden such efforts as the brand moves beyond mail-order distribution and into retail stores.

Gevalia becomes the second Kraft brand at Taxi, after MiO water flavoring, which landed at the New York shop in June.

The agency is a unit of WPP Group's Young & Rubicam Brands. Other accounts include Revlon and Newcastle Brown Ale.