Hotlines: Late-Breaking Industry News

$100 Mil. Heineken Accounts Shift to Wieden From BerlinNEW YORK Heineken USA last week dismissed Berlin Cameron United, its lead creative agency on Heineken and Heineken Premium Light, and shifted the business to Wieden + Kennedy. Major media spending on the brands totaled more than $100 million last year and nearly $90 million in the first nine months of 2007, according to Nielsen Monitor-Plus. The shift comes just nine months after WPP's Berlin Cameron in New York added Heineken on top of its Heineken Light business. That addition came after a review in which the Portland, Ore., office of Wieden, the other finalist, withdrew before the final selection, citing strategic differences with the White Plains, N.Y.-based client [Adweek.com, Feb. 28]. Since Berlin's March hiring, Heineken has made personnel changes in its marketing and upper management ranks, with for example, Don Blaustein succeeding Andy Thomas as president and CEO of Heineken USA.McCann Defends Creative In $330 Mil. Lunesta Review NEW YORK Sepracor is reviewing U.S. creative duties on its Lunesta sleep aid and incumbent McCann HumanCare is believed to be defending, sources said. Major media spending on the brand exceeded $330 million last year and totaled nearly $250 million in the first nine months of 2007, according to Nielsen Monitor-Plus. The incumbent is said to be defending against three or four other undisclosed shops, and final presentations are slated for mid-January. IPG's McCann referred queries to the Marlborough, Mass.-based Sepracor, which did not return calls. Current ads show a glowing butterfly fluttering around sleeping people. Media duties, at IPG's Initiative here, are not believed to be in play. Sepracor is said to be using Clear Perspectives, a consultancy based in Cincinnati, in its creative search. American Legacy Consolidates Creative Duties With ArnoldBOSTON The American Legacy Foundation last week said it had consolidated creative efforts on its national "Truth" anti-smoking effort at Havas' Arnold, effective in 2008, citing "financial reasons." Arnold in Boston and MDC's Crispin Porter + Bogusky in Miami have partnered on the national anti-smoking business for about a decade. "We weren't in a position to afford both agencies moving forward," said Eric Asche, Legacy svp, marketing. The client spent about $30 million in U.S. measured media through the first three quarters of 2007—roughly what Legacy spent in each of the past two years and down from the peak years of 2002-03, when the client spent about $90 million annuallyy, according to Nielsen Monitor-Plus. Earlier this year, Legacy moved its media chores from independent Media Head in New York to Omnicom's PHD in New York after a review.$80 Mil. IHOP Account Taps VitroRobertson for CreativeLOS ANGELES IHOP has hired MDC's VitroRobertson to handle creative chores on its $80 million ad account after a review, the client confirmed last week. The other finalists were independent Tactic in Santa Monica, Calif., and the incumbent, IPG's McCann Erickson in Los Angeles, said sources. Ark Advisors managed the search. Amid the hire, however, IHOP director of marketing Craig Silver is believed to be leaving to take a marketing post at California Pizza Kitchen early next year. IHOP declined to comment on Silver. JWT-Led Team Wins $90 Mil. Royal Caribbean AccountNEW YORK A WPP team led by JWT and MindShare last week bested teams from Publicis and IPG to win Royal Caribbean's global marketing services account after a review. Havas units Arnold and MPG, both in Boston, were the incumbents. Royal Caribbean in Miami spent $90 million in global major media last year and nearly $60 million through September 2007, per Nielsen Global AdView and Nielsen Monitor-Plus. Rojek Consulting Group in Cleveland managed the review.DraftFCB Wins Qwest Account Following a ReviewBOSTON Qwest Communications on Friday said it selected Interpublic Group's DraftFCB in Chicago for its consumer ad efforts following a review. The client did not identify the other contenders. Qwest spent about $55 million in measured media in the first three quarters of 2007 after spending $95 million through all of last year, per Nielsen Monitor-Plus. FCB won the business in August 2002. Following the merger last June of FCB and sibling Draft, the new agency, DraftFCB, formed a separate unit to handle Qwest so that it would not conflict with the agency's Verizon business. The unit, called Rivet, operates in Chicago, New York and London. The agency lost the Verizon business earlier this year. A representative for DraftFCB declined comment. Sources said DraftFCB defended the business on Rivet's behalf.Chip Maker, Kingston Make Music TogetherNEW YORK Intel is getting into the music business. The computer chip maker for the first time has commissioned a commercial artist to not only write a song about one of its products but also shoot a music video. Working with independent Woo Agency, Intel hired Sean Kingston, who sang the summer hit "Beautiful Girls," to pen the song "Gotta Move Faster" and shoot the subsequent video. The song premiered on MySpace and gottamovefaster.com late last week. "We decided to exclusively launch it on MySpace because that's where Sean got his start," said Greg Fisher, manager, worldwide consumer integrated marketing, for the Hillsboro, Ore.-based Intel. Kingston reportedly messaged producer Jonathan "J.R." Totem on his MySpace page, which eventually led to his record deal. The song is available free for the first 1,000 downloads and thereafter for 99 cents. Intel is currently working to get the song on iTunes and Rhapsody, where it will also be priced at 99 cents. Any money Intel accrues will go to the Intel Computer Clubhouse Network, an after-school program that teaches children about technology.

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