Hotlines

Y&R Wins $160 Mil. Global Bacardi Account After ReviewNEW YORk Young & Rubicam has landed global creative duties on Bacardi rums following a review, the client confirmed on Friday. Billings are estimated at $160 million. The other finalists were IPG's McCann Erickson, London and New York; Publicis' Fallon, London and Minneapolis; and davidandgoliath, a Los Angeles independent that handles Bacardi business in the U.S., sources said. WPP's Y&R pitched the business out of its London and New York offices, and its team included New York CCO Gary Goldsmith and Adrian Holmes, ecd for the Europe, Africa and Middle East regions, sources said. The review was managed by AAR Partners. Earthlink Taps Pile and Co. To Shop U.S. Creative Work BOSTON EarthLink has hired Pile and Co. to oversee a review for creative duties on its U.S. ad account, the client confirmed. The Atlanta-based Internet services provider has used MDC's Crispin Porter + Bogusky in Miami to craft ads since March 2004. Sources said CP+B would not participate in the competition, and that agency and client have agreed to split. An EarthLink representative declined to discuss CP+B's status or disclose details of the review. CP+B and Pile reps declined comment. EarthLink spent more than $75 million in measured media last year and $45 million through September 2005, per Nielsen Monitor-Plus. Sources said EarthLink would spend in excess of $50 million next year on ads, but has not finalized a budget.'Rise To the Occasion' Theme Is McCann's Winning Army Idea NEW YORK IPG's McCann Erickson landed the $200 million annual U.S. Army account with a pitch that would encourage potential recruits to "rise to the occasion," sources said. The agency identified two distinct motivations for signing up, one emotional (patriotism) and one rational (economic need), sources said. As such, it will create a campaign that portrays joining the Army as a commitment to serve a larger constituency and oneself at the same time. The agency, with some McCann Worldgroup and IPG companies, won the business two weeks ago after a review that included WPP's Ogilvy & Mather, Omnicom's BBDO Atlanta and the incumbent, Publicis' Leo Burnett in Chicago. Sources said the Army hasn't determined whether it will retain the "Army of one" tagline from Burnett. A McCann rep referred calls to an Army rep, who declined to comment.Frank Lowe Gets Hammersley; Waits on Cadman, HackworthyNEW YORK Paul Hammersley, CEO of DDB in London, last week became the fifth partner at Frank Lowe's new agency in London, following former Lowe London chairman Paul Weinberger and the ex-Lowe creative team of senior copywriter Sam Cartmell and senior art director Jason Lawes. Hammersley, 43, who was a top exec at IPG's Lowe before Omnicom's DDB, said he wanted to be part of a startup and, as such, there was nothing Omnicom could have done to keep him. The still-unnamed shop is also seeking a top strategic planner, a creative chief and possibly more account managers, with offers out to JWT London managing director Mark Cadman and DDB London chief strategic officer David Hackworthy, sources said. Neither Cadman nor Hackworthy had come aboard as of press time.Discover Issues RFI; Responses Are Expected This Weeklos angeles The RFI for Discover Financial Services went out last Monday for return by this Thursday, with agency visits scheduled for the week of Jan. 16, sources said. The Riverwoods, Ill.-based Morgan Stanley unit, which spent $80 million last year, per Nielsen Monitor-Plus, is using Santa Monica, Calif.-based Select Resources International as its search consultant. Among the shops expected to return the RFI, according to sources, are IPG's Deutsch and Lowe, New York; Foote Cone & Belding, Chicago; The Martin Agency, Richmond, Va.; and Campbell Mithun, Minneapolis; WPP Group's Grey, New York, and Y&R, Chicago; Publicis & Hal Riney, San Francisco; and independent RPA, Santa Monica. The incumbent, Omnicom's Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco, parted ways with the client last month while the agency was pitching Visa (which went to TBWA\C \D).Comcast to Consolidate Media Chores; Pile and Co. ConsultsNew York Comcast on Friday confirmed it has launched a review, via consultancy Pile and Co., to consolidate its media chores, which are currently divided among in-house resources and several agencies, including One to One Interactive and Star Group. Comcast spent $225 million in paid media through September 2005, and $280 million last year, per Nielsen Monitor-Plus. Billings on the business in play were not disclosed.McKinney Exits Lee Jeans pitch; Finalists Go This WeekNEW YORK Havas' McKinney + Silver has exited Lee Jeans' $30 million creative review, leaving three New York finalists: Omnicom's DDB, IPG's Lowe and Havas' Arnold, sources said. The reason for the exit was not clear. McKinney and the Merriam, Kan.-based client did not return calls. Final presentations, meanwhile, will take place today and tomorrow at a neutral site in New York, said sources. Lowe and DDB are slated to pitch Monday afternoon and Arnold on Tuesday morning, said sources. The agencies declined comment. A decision is expected by the end of the month. AAR Partners is managing the process. The incumbent, Publicis' Fallon in Minneapolis, split with Lee in September, citing strategic and creative differences. Goodyear Narrows $40 Mil. Review to Two ShopsNEW YORK A Goodyear representative confirmed that it has cut Havas' Euro RSCG from contention for creative duties on its $40 million U.S. account and will hold another round of pitches next month for the two finalists: IPG's McCann Erickson and Publicis' Saatchi & Saatchi, both New York. The incumbent, Havas' Arnold in Boston, declined to defend when the client tapped Jones Lundin Beals in New York to begin an agency search in August. "A decision will now be made in January," said Ed Markey, a representative for Goodyear. "We still have some issues to readdress with both of those agencies. We want to make the right choice, not the fastest choice."Panasonic Puts $60 Mil. U.S. Ad Account in Review BOSTON Pile and Co. last week began contacting agencies nationwide regarding Panasonic's estimated $60 million U.S. marketing account, sources said. Both creative and media duties are included, as well as below-the-line marketing chores such as direct and point-of-sale. About 12 to 15 shops, both large and small, have been contacted, and agencies must declare by this Thursday if they intend to pursue the business. A list of six semifinalists is due by mid-January, with a decision expected by the end of February. Secaucus, N.J.-based Panasonic placed its agency, WPP's Grey in New York, on 90-day notice last month. Other Panasonic roster shops include Omnicom's Merkley + Partners (Toughbook laptops), Publicis Groupe's The Kaplan Thaler Group (electric shavers) and independent Renegade Marketing Group (Hispanic market ads), all in New York. Pile executives declined comment.Starwood Transfers $50 Mil. Media Duties to Media VestNew York Starwood Hotels and Resorts is shifting media chores on its estimated $50 million ad account from IPG's Deutsch to Publicis' MediaVest, said sources. Deutsch continues to handle creative chores for Starwood's Sheraton and Westin brands. The move, which included the Four Points, St. Regis and W brands, hinged on the connections of Starwood senior managers, who were at Coca-Cola when the beverage company consolidated its U.S. media account with the Starcom MediaVest Group. Starwood CEO Steve Heyer is a former COO at Coke and Starwood's CMO, Javier Benito, joined the company from Coke (where he was also CMO) in January 2005. Client and agencies could not be reached for comment. Two Chicago Agencies Set New Creative LeadershipCHICAGO The two largest agencies here appointed new creative chiefs last week, taking different tacks to fill the posts. Omnicom's DDB went outside to tap Michael Folino—most recently CCO of IPG's Dailey & Associates in Los Angeles—as chief creative officer of its Chicago office. Folino, 41, fills a post that had been vacant for several years, though the agency had only been searching in earnest since last April, when U.S. chief creative officer Bob Scarpelli was promoted to worldwide CCO. Meanwhile, Publicis' Leo Burnett promoted group cd John Condon, 40, to become U.S. CCO, effective in March. A 19-year agency veteran, Condon succeeds Cheryl Berman in the post; Berman will remain as chairman for the U.S. agency. One month After Finals, Office Depot Still Has no DecisionNEW YORK Office Depot executives have not yet selected an agency to handle its $85 million account, one month after final presentations, sources said. The finalists for the review, which kicked off in August, are: Publicis' The Kaplan Thaler Group in New York, its sibling Leo Burnett in Chicago and IPG's The Martin Agency in Richmond, Va. Sources said client-side vacations have delayed the decision. The Delray Beach, Fla., client could not be reached for comment. The incumbent, Omnicom's BBDO New York, declined to defend after the client deemed its FedEx Kinko's account a conflict, sources said. Joanne Davis Consulting is managing the process. Super Bowl Loses 3 More Advertisers From 2005 New York Three more 2005 Super Bowl advertisers said they have no plans to advertise in the 2006 telecast: McIlhenny's Tabasco sauce, MasterCard and Novartis' CIBA Vision. A MasterCard rep offered no reason for opting out but said the company has not purchased any spots. A CIBA rep confirmed the decision. A McIlhenny's executive said the company considers buying an ad in the game only every five years or so. "We can't afford to do it every year," the exec said. Half-time sponsor Sprint Nextel, which did not advertise in the 2005 game, is also buying two in-game spots for the Feb. 5 telecast, the company confirmed. Nutsnack marketer Emerald of California confirms it is buying one spot in the game.$30 Mil. Global Adecco Pitch Down to Y&R, TBWANEW YORK Two agencies remain in contention to handle creative duties on the estimated $30 million global account of recruiter Adecco: WPP's Young & Rubicam and Omnicom's TBWA\C\D, both in London, said sources. A decision is expected this week. The field was narrowed after four London shops made presentations to the client last month. Sources said the other presenters were IPG's Lowe and WPP's Ogilvy & Mather.SanDisk Postpones Decision, Will Launch iPod Competitorlos angeles Flash-memory maker SanDisk's agency decision has been delayed until early next year, according to sources. The final presentations ended Friday, having been pushed back from Dec. 5. WPP Group's Grey, San Francisco, Publicis in Seattle and independent M&C Saatchi, Santa Monica, are finalists. The $1.8 billion Sunnyvale, Calif.-based client spent $10 million in measured media in 2004, per Nielsen Monitor-Plus, but sources said the company anticipates a dramatic expansion of marketing to the $25 million range in support of an upcoming portable digital music device, which it wants to compete with Apple's iPod.

Brand Marketing

Hotlines

Adweek Staff

About

Subscriptions

Events

Publications

WORK SMARTER - LEARN, GROW AND BE INSPIRED.

Subscribe today!

Adweek Staff