The hunt is on to replace Bowen at McCann-Erickson By Michael McCarth

NEW YORK--The hunt for a new top creative on the Coca-Cola Classic account at McCann-Erickson/ N.Y. is kicking into high gear, with several top

According to sources, McCann is considering pursuing a number of people, including Saatchi & Saatchi/ N.Y. vice chairman/executive cd Harvey Hoffenberg; BBDO/N.Y. creatives, such as Al Merrin or Michael Patti; former McCann and AC&R/N.Y. creative Paul Cappelli; and Young & Rubicam’s Peter Murphy. One source speculated that McCann might even pursue Leo Burnett’s Ted Bell. Bell said “I get phone calls all the time, but I have no intentions of leaving Leo Burnett.”
At presstime, Patti said he “had not been contacted” by McCann and that he was happy in his current position. Hoffenberg, Merrin and Murphy were all unavailable for comment.
Also mentioned by some sources is longtime Interpublic Group exec and creative consultant Marshall Karp. Sources said it was Karp’s work that Coke bought from McCann for the new spring campaign; that he played a key role in creating the two McCann spots (out of a total of 26) that made it into the campaign. Karp declined to comment.
Also mentioned by some sources is longtime Interpublic Group exec and creative consultant Marshall Karp. Sources siad it was Karp’s work that Coke bought from McCann for the new spring campaign; that he played a key role in creating the two McCann spots (out of a total of 26) that made it into the campaign. Karp declined to comment.
The new creative chief will likely be the key player on the team being formed at McCann to service Coke Classic. Michael Sennott, the agency’s new vice chairman/director of worldwide accounts, is already taking up the reins on the account side of the business, while another top-level account executive reportedly will also be assigned to Coke.
The new executives will follow the abrupt departure of Bowen, the highlytouted creative who left the agency two weeks ago. At presstime, the status of Bowen’s reported five-year contract (estimated by some sources to be in the $1 million per year range) was unclear.
Coke marketers are so intent on making their new Coke Classic campaign a success, that sources say the company is shifting about $8 million in media dollars away from Lintas: N.Y.’s Diet Coke account and another $2 million from Lowe & Partners/ N.Y.’s Sprite accounts to support the new Classic campaign.
Sources estimate that Coke will trim the current 26-spot campaign to roughly 12-15 spots and spend about $100 million pushing Coke Classic this year.
Copyright Adweek L.P. (1993)