Saatchi's Out; Crystal Cruises For New Mate By Kathy Tyre

CENTURY CITY, CALIF. - Saatchi & Saatchi/Pacific's five-year relationship with luxury cruise line Crystal Cruises ran aground last week, when Crystal annou

The 10 agencies Crystal executives have invited into the pitch are: Bozell; DMB&B; Davis, Ball & Colombatto; Dentsu America; Evans Group; Larsen Colby; Lord, Dentsu & Partners; The Miller Group; and Ogilvy & Mather, all L.A.; and San Francisco shop Pallas Advertising.
‘They were selected on the basis of either the leadership of the agency or the advertising the agency has produced,’ said Art Sbarsky, Crystal Cruises senior vp/marketing. ‘We find it unfortunate not to have Saatchi participate in our review,’ he said. ‘They’ve been extremely good to us and have done excellent work.’
Crystal executives called the decision the result of a company policy that requires reviews of all vendor relationships every five years. But Saatchi only learned about the policy a week before Crystal called the review. Sources said Crystal management in the U.S. followed orders of top management in Japan, who only recently developed the policy.
‘We have decided not to participate in Crystal’s review,’ said Saatchi president and ceo Joe Cronin. ‘The people at Crystal have indicated no dissatisfaction with our performance, and although it was a difficult decision, we felt it was in our best interest not to subject our agency to an exhaustive review at this time.’
Two or three finalists will present spec creative for which they will be compensated, Sbarsky said. A decision is expected by early August.
Crystal operates one ship, the Crystal Harmony, and plans to launch a second in 1995.
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