Exclusive: CPB Loses Hotels.com and Fruit of the Loom

A decade ago, Crispin Porter + Bogusky seemed practically unstoppable. But in 2021, the storied agency is facing steep obstacles and an uncertain future. Adweek has learned that CPB, which lost its coveted Dominos account in 2020 and has seen a rotation of agency leadership in recent years, has now lost key clients Hotels.com and Fruit of the Loom. Fruit of the Loom has placed its account in review, and finalists do not include incumbent CPB. “CPB has been a valued and trusted partner for the past nine years and together we have created an amazing body of work," said Karen Kendrick, vp of brand communications and creative services for Fruit of the Loom. "As we continue to evolve the Fruit of the Loom brand, we felt it was time to explore new perspectives." Hotels.com has not explicitly announced a departure from CPB, though sources with direct knowledge of the account confirmed to Adweek on condition of anonymity that it will be cutting ties with the agency. Asked for comment on the status of the account, Hotels.com released a statement to Adweek saying, “We are working with our new marketing leadership to evaluate our agency relationships.” After the exit of Dominos, Hotels.com—and its highly recognizable Captain Obvious spokesperson first introduced in 2014—has been the agency's signature account. Even amid the pandemic's travel restrictions, the agency has traveled Captain Obvious back to the '90s as well as encourage travelers to “hate-like” perfect travel photos from influencers. Fruit of the Loom has also been a consistently creative partner for CPB, which found clever ways to celebrate the underwear and apparel brand's lightness, breathability and even awkwardness. Turnover and turbulence Last year, Domino’s ended its 13-year relationship to move its account to WorkInProgress. The switch to an agency started by several CPB alumni marked the end of a remarkable run that famously included the pizza chain admitting its pies actually hadn't been that good, and then delivering on a commitment to improve. Their partnership also introduced the Domino's loyalty program as well as the creation of Domino's AnyWare ordering platforms. CPB's "Paving for Pizza" effort to fill community potholes was also a popular marketing move for Dominos. The agency’s leadership team has also experienced rapid changeover. In March, global CEO Erik Sollenberg exited to return to his native Sweden, due to a family health issue. His successor, Marianne Malina, spent more than two decades at GSD&M and was hired specifically for a rebuild. She knew going in it was going to be a long hard journey. The Austin, Texas-based Malina is being supported by an evolving leadership team, including recently hired chief creative officer Jorge Calleja, and CPB veteran and managing director Ryan Skubic. In March 2020, CPB went through a round of furloughs, as well as what the agency characterizes as a small number of layoffs. It was unclear how many employees were affected. The agency did not respond to Adweek’s requests for comment. Sources tell Adweek there was an officewide meeting to discuss the losses and challenging times to come. The turmoil comes amid ongoing merger between parent company MDC Partners and Stagwell Group. A shareholder vote on the merger is scheduled for June 22. CPB outwardly appears to be holding firm. The previously announced plans to relocate the entire office from Boulder to Denver reportedly continues as planned, with the property agent confirming the agency is still under lease. Timeline: CPB's History in Brief 1988: Crispin + Porter is founded in Miami by Samuel B. Crispin and Chuck Porter. 1989: Creative Alex Bogusky joins the agency. 1993: Porter buys out Crispin and his son, Charles. 1997: Bogusky becomes a partner and the agency becomes Crispin Porter & Bogusky. 1997 through the mid-2000s: The agency, known for Bogusky’s sometimes polarizing yet highly creative ideas, becomes a go-to for creative awards for campaigns including Burger King’s “Subservient Chicken,” Mini’s launch in the U.S., and later Volkswagen in North America. 2001: The agency sells a 49% stake to holding company MDC Partners. It opens a Los Angeles office. 2006: The agency opens a Boulder, Colo., office, where it will eventually have its headquarters. 2008: CPB wins a $300 million global assignment for Microsoft. 2010: Bogusky departs agency he'd joined in 1989. Crispin Porter + Bogusky is named the Cannes Lions Interactive Agency of the Year for the third year in a row and wins the Cannes Titanium Grand Prix for Best Buy's "Twelpforce." Andrew Keller is named CEO. 2011: Burger King parts ways with Crispin Porter + Bogusky after seven award-filled years. 2012: Fruit of the Loom names Crispin Porter + Bogusky as creative agency 2013: Hotels.com hires Crispin Porter + Bogusky as its creative agency 2014: Hotels.com introduces Captain Obvious as a spokescharacter. CP+B loses the Microsoft account. 2015: Lori Senecal, CEO of MDC Partners Network, adds the tile of global CEO of CPB; Andrew Keller, who spent 17 years at the agency, leaves his position as ECD and CEO. Samuel Crispin dies at 90. 2017: Senecal exits as global CEO and is replaced by longtime Forsman & Bodenfors CEO Erik Sollenberg. The agency lands Hulu as a client. The agency closes its Miami office late that year. 2018: Former partner Bogusky returns as chief creative engineer, and the agency changes its name to CPB. The agency also announces it will be quitting awards shows. 2020: Bogusky departs CPB again after 18 months. Domino’s ends its 13-year relationship with CPB. The agency goes through layoffs and furloughs during the pandemic. 2021: CPB hires Marianne Malina, president of GSD&M, as its new global CEO after Sollenberg's exit due to family health issues. It also hires a new chief strategy officer, head of production and head of creative diversity. The agency announces plans to move its headquarters to Denver. Hotels.com and Fruit of the Loom part ways with CPB. Adweek agencies reporter Kyle O'Brien contributed to this report.

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Exclusive: CPB Has Lost Key Clients Hotels.com and Fruit of the Loom

The once-dominant agency is left with few remaining accounts

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