Y&R Detroit Moves West

Young & Rubicam will follow its anchor Detroit client, Ford Motor Co.’s Lincoln-Mercury division, to Southern California, while keeping its operation here.
Ford has said it will shift Lincoln-Mercury headquarters to Irvine, Calif., later this year, transferring about 120 employees, including its sales, marketing, advertising and vehicle development managers.
Y&R has a 35-person office in Irvine that handles Lincoln-Mercury dealer business as well as some Taco Bell business, Y&R Detroit chairman John Vanderzee said. But it’s unlikely that the Lincoln-Mercury team to be established in California will join with the existing Y&R offices, said Ian Beavis, Lincoln-Mercury’s marketing communications manager.