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Suzuki Breaks $30 Mil. SUV Campaign LOS ANGELES--American Suzuki Motor Corp. launches the largest ad push in its history, introducing its all-new 1999 V-6 Grand Vitara and relaunching the Suzuki brand. The $30 million effort, which breaks today from Asher & Partners in Los Angeles, introduces a new tagline, "Engineered to fit your life," which replaces "Ask anyone who owns one." Bates Gets $40 Mil. Ballantine Account NEW YORK--Bates Worldwide has won the $40 million Ballantine's Scotch Whiskey account after a review that included incumbent Publicis, BBDO Europe and Saatchi & Saatchi. New creative work for the brand from Allied Domecq in London will appear next year in Europe, Latin America and Asia Pacific. JWT Lures FCB Exec for Merrill Account NEW YORK--J. Walter Thompson here has hired Tom Cotton as executive vice president, global business director on the estimated $70 million Merrill Lynch account. Cotton will report to Bob Jeffrey, president in New York. Cotton was previously the worldwide account director for AT&T at Foote,Cone & Belding here. The AT&T account will be overseen by Charlie Taney, president of FCB in New York, until a replacement is named. Dreyfus Picks Grace & Rothschild NEW YORK--Dreyfus Corp. selected Grace & Rothschild here as the agency for its $20-30 million account. Other finalists: Partners & Shevack and Angotti, Thomas, Hedge, both New York. Grace replaces incumbent Citron Haligman Bedecarrƒ in San Francisco. Consultant Richard Roth of Chappaqua, N.Y., conducted the review. Kaufman Footwear Names Finalists CHICAGO--Kaufman Footwear has narrowed the review for its $8-10 million account to incumbent Brandworks, Toronto; W.B. Doner & Co., Southfield, Mich., and Toronto; and Martin/Williams, Minneapolis. Cut were Lippi & Co., Charlotte, N.C.; Lyons Marketing Communications, Wilmington, Del.; and Periscope, Minneapolis. Agencies Nationwide Go to Bat for MLB NEW YORK--Major League Baseball is talking to eight small to mid-sized shops from across the country about handling creative assignments for the 1999 season, according to league executives. Lowe & Partners/SMS, New York, previously handled the creative portion of of the estimated $10 million account. Media buying is in-house. Director of advertising Jacqueline Parkes is overseeing the search. Mail Boxes Etc. Names Contenders LOS ANGELES--Mail Boxes Etc. is in the midst of an agency search for its estimated $16 million account, according to the San Diego-based client. Contenders are Grey Advertising and Ogilvy & Mather, both Los Angeles; J. Walter Thompson, San Francisco; Saatchi & Saatchi Los Angeles, Torrance, Calif.; Leo Burnett and DDB Needham, both Chicago; and incumbent Kenneth C. Smith Advertising, La Jolla, Calif. Lois/USA Shutters L.A. Office LOS ANGELES--Lois/USA will close its Los Angeles office "within the next two weeks," said Bob Stewart, chief financial officer of Lois/USA. The shop recently lost its estimated $5 million Southern California Gas business. Most of the shop's other accounts had left earlier or became "dormant," as was the case with client Price Pfister, sources said. Separately, executives at Lois/USA said the agency intends to open in San Francisco. Allied Domecq Opens Beefeater Review DETROIT--Allied Domecq has started an agency search for its Beefeater gin brand, prompting the resignation of incumbent Mezzina/Brown Advertising, New York. The spirits company spent about $4 million on the brand last year. Y&R Gives 7Up a New Image NEW YORK--Four new 7Up TV spots from Young & Rubicam here mix pop culture with edgy music and a new tagline, "Are U an UN?" The spots, set to break during the Jan. 31 Super Bowl, pit self-assured "UNs" against an "Anti-Refreshment Syndicate," a group of control freaks right out of Men in Black. The syndicate tries to keep "UNs" from drinking 7Up, to no avail. The estimated $50 million marketing push is intended to "give the brand image an enema and to get [consumers] to start thinking of us," said chief advertising officer John Clarke. Newswire Roundup OgilvyOne, New York, won an estimated $30 million in ad duties for the launch of Bertelsmann AG's new online bookstore, BOL.com Procter & Gamble hired Dieste & Partners, Dallas, to handle multi-brand promotional initiatives aimed at U.S. Hispanic consumers in 1999, after a review of undisclosed shops. There was no incumbent Citron Haligman Bedecarrƒ in San Francisco won the estimated $1-2 million account for Revo sunglasses following a review of undisclosed shops. The client is a division of Bausch & Lomb Allied Domecq confirmed it has assigned the $12 million Kahlœa liqueur account to BBDO Chicago. BBDO succeeds Lois/EJL here. Additionally it selected Publicis & Hal Riney, San Francisco, for the $10 million Canadian Club whisky account that was previously with DDB Needham in New York, as expected [Adweek, Sept. 7] Balance Bar Co., Carpenteria, Calif., has launched a search for a Southern California shop to handle its estimated $9 million account, according to the company's vice president of marketing, Lara Jackle. The client "mutually decided to part ways" with Buckley/Friedman last week.

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