-Just days after breaking the news that entertainment marketing firm Cimarron Group was “restructuring” amid allegations of nonpayment to freelancers, Deadline now reports that the company has shuttered operations altogether after 30-plus years. From what sources tell us, Cimarron’s entire “creative content and transmedia marketing” department moved over to competitor Buddha Jones last week.
-Well, at least some good will come out of illegally parking in TDA_Boulder’s lot as the agency has posted signs in designated spots which read, “Parking violators, thank you for your altruism. We are going to tow your car and donate $200 to the charity designated on the parking block” (example above). Charities in the mix include American Cancer Society, Boulder County Aids Project, Boulder Humane Society and March of Dimes. Unfortunately, illegal parkers will still have to pay the towing fee.
-Beast Editorial has added editors Stéphane Pereira and Kyle Brown to its L.A. office and Karen Kourtessis to its New York space.
-In its latest “This Year, Next Year” report, WPP’s GroupM revised its biannual worldwide measured advertising spending forecast for 2013 downward to $507 billion, reflecting a 3.4 percent growth rate compared to the 4.5 percent rate predicted in December of last year.
-Bi-coastal production company Brand New School has launched to new divisions: bns.films representing directors for film production, and bns.labs for interactive media.
-Global digital agency Essence has hired Brian Krick, former senior director, SEM operations for Razorfish, as head of search and biddable, North America.