TBWA's True Raising 'Transcultural' Flag

Nissan North America looked at some 27 agencies last year in its search for a successor to Carol H. Williams Advertising, which had gone to work for General Motors.

The review for $20 million in African American ad duties came down a few traditional minority shops and True, an eclectic multicultural startup whose principals hail from publishing, MTV and Wall Street, as well as advertising. True pitched an approach that Nissan sought: to broaden the brand’s appeal among young, urban drivers, not just African Americans, recalls Jon Cropper, client senior manager of youth and urban communications.