10 Advance in Hyundai Review
LOS ANGELES—Hyundai Motor America has selected 10 semifinalists in the review for its $160 million national creative account, confirmed Select Resources International, which is leading the review. They are: the incumbent, Bates USA West in Irvine, Calif.; Grey in Los Angeles; Foote, Cone & Belding in Irvine and San Francisco; Hill, Holliday and Publicis & Hal Riney, both in San Francisco; Wieden + Kennedy in Portland, Ore.; Campbell Mithun in Minneapolis; Publicis in the West in Seattle; The Richards Group in Dallas; and one undisclosed contender. Approximately 20-25 shops responded to the RFP, said Catherine Bension, president of the West Hollywood, Calif., consultancy. The Fountain Valley, Calif., client is expected to meet with semifinalists this week for chemistry checks before cutting to three or four agencies. Final presentations will be held in early April, with a decision by the end of the month.
Sun Microsystems to Consolidate Media
LOS ANGELES—Sun Microsystems has launched a global media planning and buying consolidation review for its estimated $100 million business, the company confirmed. Contending are Publicis and Cordiant's Zenith Media; Aegis Group's Carat; and WPP's Mediaedge: CIA, all New York; and Interpublic Group of Cos.' Initiative Media, Los Angeles. Initiative handles the global media business and does TV buying in the U.S. for the Palo Alto, Calif.-based computer hardware and software manufacturer. Sun's creative agency, JWT & Tonic, San Francisco, is the incumbent print planning and buying resource.
JWT & Tonic Trims Staff
SAN FRANCISCO—Six employees have been laid off from JWT & Tonic here due to the recent merger of the shops, sources said late last week. Five workers and one part-time employee were cut from a staff of roughly 75. J. Walter Thompson S.F. and Tonic 360 combined several months ago, in part to better service the Sun Micro systems account. The agencies have since moved into Tonic's office space near the waterfront.
McCann Joins $100 Mil. Qwest Review
NEW YORK—McCann-Erickson here has entered the review for Qwest's $100 million account after clearing its participation with current client Sprint, an agency representative said. The two telecom accounts are not considered a conflict for McCann because they provide local service in separate regions of the country. Qwest in Denver is looking to consolidate its business at one agency. Its account is currently split between J. Walter Thompson in New York and DDB in Chicago. The incumbents are participating in the review, as are Leo Burnett in Chicago and Foote, Cone & Belding in New York.
DiTech Moves Buying, Reviews Planning
NEW YORK—Mortgage marketer DiTech Funding Corp., Irvine, Calif., has shifted its $50 million media buying account to GM Mediaworks, Warren, Mich., from Carat, Los Angeles, and launched a review for its media planning business, which had also been handled by Carat. GM Planworks, Troy, Mich., has been invited to compete for the planning account. A decision is due within a month.