Hotline

Fleet Divides Direct Task Between Blau, Devon Blau Marketing and Devon Direct Marketing & Advertising will split the estimated $150 million Fleet Financial Group direct marketing task following a review. How exactly the account will be divided between the two shops is under discussion. Betsy Richardson, senior vice president of corporate marketing at Fleet, said the aim is to give agencies equal portions so "both the workload and the compensation is even." Kraft Selects 7 Promotions Agencies CHICAGO--Kraft Foods consolidated its $600 million consumer promotions budget with seven agencies: Colangelo Group, South Norwalk, Conn.; Davidson Marketing and Frankel & Co., both Chicago; East/West Creative and Ryan Partnership, each of which has Chicago and New York offices; and Guild Group, White Plains, N.Y. (which also will handle African American promotions). Zubi Advertising Services, Coral Gables, Fla., will handle Hispanic promotions. Each agency was assigned specific brands. Kraft, which had worked with as many as 30 promotion shops, will slightly reduce fees paid to the seven remaining shops, according to sources. Northfield, Ill.-based Kraft would not comment on compensation, but said it expects to achieve "cost efficiencies" from the consolidation. NationsBank, BofA, Narrow Review List DALLAS--The consolidation review for the $80-100 million account of NationsBank and Bank of America was narrowed to 8-10 shops last week, from at least 20 contacted agencies, sources said. NationsBank incumbent Temerlin McClain, Irving, Texas, is advancing, along with Bozell Worldwide, Lowe & Partners/SMS and Saatchi & Saatchi, all New York. It was not clear at press time if BofA creative and print media buying incumbent Deutsch, New York and Marina del Ray, Calif., will advance. GSD&M, Austin, Texas, incumbent broadcast media agency for BofA, was cut. A cut to finalists is expected in September. Executives at NationsBank could not be reached at press time. Lowe Looking For New Strategic Planning Chief NEW YORK--Lowe & Partners/SMS here is searching for a new person to run its strategic planning department, sources said. Sources said Stephani Cook, executive vice president in charge of strategic planning, will be leaving the agency to pursue other opportunities and is in midst of negotiating her departure. Cook, who joined the agency in 1995, did not return calls at press time while the agency declined comment. Appeals Court: FDA Can't Regulate Tobacco NEW YORK--Congress did not grant the federal Food and Drug Administration regulatory jurisdiction over tobacco products, a U.S. appeals court ruled late Friday afternoon. According to Reuters, the three-judge Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va., reversed a lower federal court ruling which placed the industry under FDA scruitiny. "The FDA has exceeded the authority granted to it by Congress, and this rule-making action cannot stand," wrote the two-judge majority. The court said the verdict was not a judgement on the health effects of smoking, but "who has the power to make this type of policy decision." Account Activity Partners & Shevack in New York has won the $15 million ad account of Spiegel Catalog after a review of undisclosed shops. The Downers Grove, Ill.-based client's ads has mostly relied on print work from various agencies in the past ... Ammirati Puris Lintas, New York has been tapped to handle creative and media chores for soon-to-be Labatt USA brand Lowenbrau, sources said. Billings are undisclosed. Miller Brewing is slated to sell Lowenbrau to Labatt in late 1999. APL already handles creative for several Labatt brands including Rolling Rock, Dos Equis and Labatt's Blue Pfizer has hired search consultancy Achenbaum Bogda Associates in New York to handle Pfizer's estimated $200 million media review. Alvin Achenbaum confirmed that he is heading the search.

Brand Marketing

Hotline

Adweek Staff

About

Subscriptions

Events

Publications

WORK SMARTER - LEARN, GROW AND BE INSPIRED.

Subscribe today!

Adweek Staff