Pittsburgh’s MARC USA parted ways with several staffers this week (less than 10, according to a spokesperson). The move, however, follows a couple of significant hires and an extended search for new talent.
Last month, MARC named Alison Hammer and Dan O’Donnell as its newest creative directors. The former wrote copy for TBWA, Deutsch, Mullen, and others before landing at FCB Chicago, where she served as senior copywriter and ACD working on multiple campaigns like this unusual one for Verisign.
The latter, who previously worked as ACD at Arnold on accounts like Ocean Spray and Tyson, also spent time as an art director at Mullen as well as Digitas, Hill Holliday, Fallon, etc. Both new CDs will report directly to CCO Bryan Hadlock and will work primarily on the Rite Aid account.
Several months ago, MARC named Susan Bertocchi, former GCD at FCB Chicago, as SVP/CD to run creative on Payless. The agency also announced the hire of yet another FCB alum — former Chief of Staff Bill McCarthy — at that time to serve as VP.
Regarding this week’s departures, here’s the statement from the agency:
“As the direction of our industry continues to change, we made minor adjustments to align our staffing with the needs of current clients. At the same time, we’re actively seeking to fill a number of other positions, so the net effect is virtually no change in our overall staff count.”
Translation: digital. The agency’s LinkedIn job listings reveal that they’re looking for designers/developers, UX specialists, and account executives.