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Last week it got into the ring with some of advertising’s heavyweights when it unveiled its Miller Clear ads for the Miller Brewing Co. Now, CF&P is in negotiations with a new airline that should add another $1012 million in billings to its portfolio. Agency executive vp Chuck Kushell confirmed the discussions but would not identify the client.
According to sources, however, the shop will be flying high with a soon-to-resurrected Republic Airlines.
Interestingly enough, Republic had been a major client of Dancer Fitzgerald Sample when Freeman headed a creative group there.
However, one source said the new airline would bear precious little resemblance to its predecessor: the Minneapolis-based carrier that was merged into Northwest Airlines in the late 1980s. That merger married a largely domestic Republic with Northwest’s strength in the Pacific Rim.
Saatchi held the account until 1991 when new marketing management at Northwest fired the agency and split its business among four agencies. Still, if there was any thought by new Republic executives to bring the business back to Saatchi, they might not want to pick Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising. The shop now handles British Airways in tandem with its Charlotte Street/London office.
Given the trends in the airline industry, Republic will most likely reemerge as a regional carrier in an effort to capitalize on the opportunities that have emerged as the large airlines have scaled back their regional hubs.
Copyright Adweek L.P. (1993)
