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Staples Meets With 4 for $70 Mil. DutiesNEW YORK—Staples executives will brief the four agencies competing for its $70 million account—The Martin Agency in Richmond, Va.; Carmichael Lynch and Martin/Williams, both in Minneapolis; and Wieden + Kennedy in New York—at its Framingham, Mass., headquarters this week, sources said. There will be a "work session" with the client in the weeks following and a final pitch at the end of June or early July, one source said. Consultancy Select Resources International in West Hollywood, Calif., is handling the process. Staples split with Cliff Freeman and Partners in New York in April. Grey Global Group's MediaCom in New York handles media duties.Cisco Taps darkGrey for $50-60 Mil. BusinessNEW YORK—Cisco Systems in San Jose, Calif., awarded its $50-60 million account to darkGrey following a review that included TBWA\Chiat\Day in Playa del Rey, Calif., and JWT & Tonic in San Francisco. DarkGrey's San Francisco and New York offices pitched the business. The incumbent, Hill, Holliday, Connors, Cosmopulos in San Francisco, declined to defend.Blocklin Rejoins Y&R as Vice ChairmanNEW YORK—June Blocklin, former co-president of Hill, Holliday, Connors, Cosmopulos in Boston, has returned to Young & Rubicam in the role of vice chairman, the agency confirmed. Blocklin will steer management of the New York shop's AT&T account, said sources. An agency representative would say only that Blocklin will work on "key corporate accounts" and contribute to new-business efforts. During her first stint at Y&R, in the mid- to late-1990s, Blocklin held several titles, including client services director and director of new business.Legacy: Philip Morris Anti-Smoking Ads IneffectiveWASHINGTON—The American Legacy Foundation said last week that Philip Morris' anti-smoking ads encourage kids to smoke and should be pulled off the air. Legacy cited two reports showing that Philip Morris' "Think. Don't Smoke" campaign prompted 12-to-17-year-olds who saw the ads to say they were likely to smoke in the future. The research is based on a study published in the American Journal of Public Health in June and Legacy's own report comparing its "Truth" campaign with the Philip Morris ads. Philip Morris said it intends to study the reports and will request a meeting with Legacy.Bruner, Rose Shift Posts at Media AgenciesNEW YORK—Duane Bruner has been named regional director of the Latin American division of Grey Global Group's MediaCom. Bruner, 38, was previously regional director of MediaCom Europe; he starts his new post in July. He replaces Otavio Bocchino, who is leaving for Universal McCann, where he will serve as evp/regional director for Latin America. Separately, Jim Rose, most recently CEO at QXL Ricardo PLC, has been named CEO of Havas' Media Planning Group USA. Rose succeeds Antoni Rossich, who stepped into the post in November following the departure of Steve Farella. Franz Reappears in New Nextel AdsBOSTON—Dennis Franz returns this week in new commercials touting Nextel Communications' hand-held phones. In one spot, Franz looks disgusted when he spies a giant poster of him touting Nextel's two-way-radio feature. He immediately calls his agent. "You remember that conversation we had?" he asks. "The one where I said I don't do any ads?" There is no tag. The client spent $150 million on ads last year, per CMR. Mullen in Wenham, Mass, created the spots. 4 Advance in California Lottery ReviewLOS ANGELES—The California Lottery last week named four finalists in the review for its five-year, $125 million account. Advancing are the incumbent, Grey in Los Angeles, as well as DDB, also in Los Angeles, Foote, Cone & Belding in San Francisco and TBWA\Chiat\Day in Playa del Rey, Calif. DDB had been named the successful bidder earlier this year before the account was put back in review following a protest by Grey. A finalists conference will take place on June 12 at lottery headquarters in Sacramento, Calif. A decision is due in July.Newswire RoundupFoxwoods Resorts Casino plans a $3 million multicultural blitz in the Northeast in 2003, and last week named SpikeDDB, HispanAmerica and Admerasia as its minority marketing agencies. The three shops, all in New York, join Baltimore's Trahan Burden & Charles (which handles general market advertising) on the roster of the Mashantucket, Conn.-based client. … Doner has dropped out of the $15-20 million CareerBuilder.com review, an agency representative said. Remaining finalists are Bernstein-Rein and Barkley Evergreen & Partners, both in Kansas City, Mo., and MARC USA and Cramer-Krasselt in Chicago. A decision is expected this week. Consultancy Hasan & Co. in Raleigh, N.C., is handling the search. Incumbent The Martin Agency in Richmond, Va., declined to participate. … Cliff Freeman and Partners was dropped from Long John Silver's $20 million broadcast creative review, the Louisville, Ky., client confirmed. The remaining contenders are BBDO in New York, Foote, Cone & Belding in Chicago and Campbell-Ewald Advertising in Warren, Mich. The client said a selection could be as much as a month away. LJS, owned by Tricon Global, split with Fallon in Minneapolis last month. … The North Face in San Francisco has launched a review for its $3-5 million advertising account, sources said. Sources said 15 agencies were initially contacted. … Ocean Spray Cranberries has begun contacting East Coast agencies about handling a creative project that involves launching a new beverage, sources said. The budget is estimated at several million dollars. Arnold in Boston will continue as lead agency.

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