A tipster notified us this morning that the Captain D’s business is back in play, and now, it looks like we have the confirmation. If you remember, the Nashville-based seafood chain handed its account in January 2010 to Ft. Lauderdale-based Zimmerman, which sent us an interesting, rather candid note just minutes ago topped with the subject line, “Zimmerman Cuts Bait–Resigns Captain D’s.” Here’s the full statement from the agency’s EVP/CMO Michael Goldberg, which we think basically cements things:
“It is unfortunate that Captain D’s has brought on a new CMO that has a history of quick reviews and short stops on his resume. While we think there may be a correlation between those things, the ‘kiss my new ring’ game is one that we simply refuse to play – especially since we have had an unwavering mission to help the brand regain its focus on seafood and commitment to kitchen fresh quality. We are clearly on a different page than the CMO. It is our hope that our mission with Captain D’s will continue if the carnage is kept in control during this CMO’s stopover.”
Update: A source close to Captain D’s confirms what we know already, that the account is up for review. But really, how can you top Goldberg’s diatribe above?