JWT Forms New Unit

J. Walter Thompson has created a new corporate unit, Automotive Retail Marketing Inc., that has been named agency of record for all of Ford’s emerging “auto collection” dealerships across the country.
Steve Brown, who remains executive vice president and general manager of JWT’s Detroit office, will head the new company, a wholly owned JWT subsidiary.
The unit, scheduled to be in full operation by Jan. 1, will handle Ford’s new auto collection dealerships, which are being bought and organized by the Ford Investment Enterprises Corp.
Under the program, Ford will buy out the individual dealerships of all five Ford brands (Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Mazda and Jaguar) in a selected market and consolidate them into one massive dealership that markets, sells and services all the brands.