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Sun Consolidating $100 Mil. Global Media BusinessLOS ANGELES—Sun Microsystems has launched a review to consolidate its $100 million global media planning and buying business, the client said. Contending are Publicis and Cordiant's Zenith Media, Aegis Group's Carat, and WPP's Mediaedge:CIA, all in New York, and Interpublic Group's Initiative Media, Los Angeles. Initiative handles the Palo Alto, Calif.-based client's global media business and does U.S. national TV buying. Sun's creative agency, JWT&Tonic, San Francisco, is the incumbent print planning and buying resource. 10 Advance in Hunt for $160 Mil. Hyundai Account LOS ANGELES—Hyundai Motor America has selected 10 semifinalists in the review for its $160 million national creative account, confirmed Select Resources International, which is leading the review. Shops advancing are the incumbent, Bates USA West in Irvine, Calif.; Grey in Los Angeles; Hill, Holliday and Publicis & Hal Riney, both in San Francisco; Foote, Cone & Belding in Irvine and San Francisco; Wieden + Kennedy in Portland, Ore.; Campbell Mithun in Minneapolis; Publicis in the West in Seattle; The Richards Group in Dallas; and one undisclosed contender. After meetings next week, the client will cut to 3-4 finalists, who will be asked to complete a strategic and creative work assignment in early April. McCann Joins Qwest's $100 Mil. RaceNEW YORK—McCann-Erickson joined the review for Qwest Communications' $100 million account after clearing its participation with current client Sprint, an agency representative said. The two telecom accounts are not considered a conflict for McCann because they each provide local service in separate regions of the country. Also, Sprint has decided to no longer spend to advertise its long-distance service, estimated to be worth $100 million. McCann's other Sprint business, DSL and local service, have undisclosed billings. Qwest is looking to consolidate its business, currently split between J. Walter Thompson in New York and DDB in Chicago, at one agency. The incumbents are defending; also contending are Leo Burnett in Chicago and Foote, Cone & Belding in New York. Ford's CEO Goes on the AirDETROIT—Ford Motor Co. chairman and CEO Bill Ford Jr. narrates and appears in four 60-second spots that break this week. The 44-year-old great-grandson of the automaker's founder took over the top job in October. The documentarylike spots were created by Ford division agency J. Walter Thompson in Detroit. The campaign expands use of the "No boundaries" tagline originally introduced in Ford truck advertising in 1999. In the spots, Bill Ford shares his unscripted, unrehearsed views about Ford's history, products and future. "My great-grandfather Henry Ford really redefined what it meant to live in this country," he says in one. A print campaign will follow.Kmart Breaks New TBWA\C\D CampaignDETROIT—Kmart Corp. has launched a new TV and print campaign from TBWA\Chiat\Day in New York, directed by Spike Lee. The first spot broke Feb. 24 during the closing ceremonies of the Olympics and includes the new tagline: "Kmart. The stuff of life." The campaign focuses on differentiating Kmart as the store that understands what really matters in life. A spot highlighting a new Disney children's apparel line breaks Feb. 28. A multicultural campaign from Don Coleman Advertising, Southfield, Mich., breaking in conjunction with the general market executions, follows the same themeline. New Lycos Marketing Chief Sees Big Spending BoostBOSTON—Look for Terra Lycos to increase the ad budget for its Lycos brand by "tens of millions of dollars" this year and evolve or discard its "Dig into it deeper" positioning, according to Steven Gross, the Internet portal's newly named U.S. vp of marketing. Gross, who joined the Waltham, Mass., client last week and spoke before his first meeting with Lycos agency Hill, Holliday, Connors, Cosmopulos, Boston. "I don't intend to do an agency review at this time," Gross said, though he stressed that no long-term decisions have been made about the relationship with Hill, Holliday, and he would not discount an account consolidation. The company's Terra brand is with Ogilvy & Mather. Lycos received about $20 million in ad support, while more than $3 million went to Terra from January through November 2001, according to CMR. Newswire RoundupMortgage marketer DiTech Funding Corp., Irvine, Calif., has shifted its $50 million media buying account to GM Mediaworks, Warren, Mich., from Carat, Los Angeles, and launched a review for its media planning business, which had also been handled by Carat. The advertiser, owned by General Motors, considered Carat's acquisition last month of the $400 million Hyundai/Kia U.S. media buying and planning business a conflict. GM's planning agency, GM Planworks, Troy, Mich., has been invited to pitch the planning account. … DeVry's $25-35 million account is in review, the Oakbrook Terrace, Ill., company confirmed. Incumbent Brown Marketing Communications in Chicago has been invited to defend. Consultancy Jones Lundin Beals in Chicago is handling. … Reebok consolidated its creative account at Arnell Group, which in November was awarded Reebok's Classics footwear line from Bartle Bogle Hegarty and some men's footwear business, which had been at Berlin Cameron/Red Cell in New York. The consolidation involves Reebok's footwear for women and children, with estimated billings of $15 million, which had also been at Berlin Cameron. Reebok spent $60 million in U.S. media from January through November 2001, according to CMR. MediaCom retains media duties.

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