Berlin, Cameron Poised to Get Olympics Task
DETROIT–General Motors has tested work from Campbell-Ewald Advertising and McCann-Erickson Worldwide and a retail-oriented TV and print campaign from one of them is expected to begin this week, sources said.
McCann in Troy, Mich., the agency for Buick, is thought to be the favorite for the assignment due to the “Lots of Cars” spot it did during the strike. CEA in Warren, Mich., is the agency for Chevrolet. N.W. Ayer & Partners in New York, GM’s corporate shop, is conspicuously absent from the contest, sources said.
Separately, Oldsmobile has broken an $80 million launch campaign by Leo Burnett in Chicago for the new Alero. Two teaser spots broke last weekend. More will air Aug. 17 when the campaign officially kicks off, sources said. All carry the theme: “Start something.”
GM is also currently testing Olympic concepts from Berlin, Cameron & Partners in New York, sources said. Once GM has set its Olympics marketing budget, there is a “very good chance” the automaker will ink a formal agreement with the agency within the next 30-60 days, sources said.
One source who has seen Berlin’s concept boards described them as “elegant” and “very high ground,” with a focus on the personal stories of Olympic athletes. Another source said the concepts are classic “feel-good” ads and “very emotional stuff.”
Agency principal Andy Berlin, would say only, “I would love more than anything to say that, even in a small way, that we are a GM agency, but that is not the case yet.”
GM’s ad spending on the Olympics will be much greater than its 1996 effort, sources said. –with Hank Kim and Justin Dini
Mccann, CEA In GM Jump Ball
