agency news

NEW YORK

Harrison Leifer Miller & Speyer in Rockville Centre will create New York’s Goldman Diamond’s trade campaigns and aid in the production of catalogs and brochures for the client, a manufacturer of clarity-enhanced diamonds. In addition, Harvey Electronics, a high-end specialty consumer-electronics retailer in Lyndhurst, N.J., has tapped HLM&S to design its e-commerce Web site. The agency also created a site slogan to extend the company’s branding campaign. Long Island Museum of Science and Technology in Mitchel Field had the agency design and produce a promotional brochure to support corporate fundraising efforts for the soon-to-be interactive museum. HLM&S is also responsible for creating corporate advertising for Medical Action Industries in Hauppauge and has done the company’s sales literature and annual report. HLM&S is producing newspaper ads and collateral materials for Mercy Medical Center in Rockville Centre, and has been retained by Protocall Technologies in Commack to design its corporate logo and create a corporate brochure and Web site for the company’s software-delivery system.

Smith & Jones Mktg/Adv/PR/i received a silver award at the National Health In-formation Awards for 98.6°, a quarterly four-color publication produced for client Vassar Bros. Hospital in Poughkeepsie. The marketing-communications agency, in West Sand Lake, won in the consumer decision-making magazine category.

LiquidSite, a New York-based software company, has created a patent-pending technology that allows advertisers and Web-site developers to transform static images into interactive experiences comprising multiple images, audio, video, advertising information and e-commerce transaction capabilities. A glide-over static image keeps them pristine after one click-through without the intrusion of scroll bars or other icons. The new technology keeps consumers rooted on the same Web page that first engaged their interest. Avon, Redken and bostonproper are among those that have used the technology in their online campaigns. LiquidSite will license its software to online publications, ad agencies and catalog companies.

Two new promos for Strip Mall, a new series on Comedy Central, highlight the acclaim the show has generated among TV critics. The 30-second “Brown and Dirty” and “Headlines” were produced by David Fowler of Fowler Media in New York and edited by Rob Ortiz of iXL Digital Video Group, also in New York. The spots let current and potential viewers know how well the show has been received.

Design company Eyeball in New York, in conjunction with Kaleidoscope, provided visual support for the Mercedes-Benz C-Class introductory show in Las Vegas. The support was in the form of free-flowing digital video-montage loops projected onto giant screens surrounding a corporate sales presentation. The video loops, which used color contrasts, geometric patterns and perpetual, fluid motion, were designed to be stimulating, yet unintrusive.

Marble Collegiate Church in New York has begun its third year of advertising with a new campaign aimed at nonchurchgoers. Previous ads were targeted at a twenty- to thirty-something audience and featured the copy, “You don’t have to be a sinner to attend our church. But it helps.” John Follis, president and creative director of Follis in New York, helped create the new campaign. The new ad reads, “Not crazy about church? You’re perfect for ours,” and steers readers to the church’s Web site, marblechurch.org.

JWT Specialized Communications in New York, the recruitment advertising arm of J. Walter Thompson, has forged a strategic alliance with jobTAG, a Web-driven business that helps companies recruit and retain staff. JWT is talking to a few clients about using the Philadelphia-based jobTAG to build its own talent networks on the Web.

Team South, a below-the-line services unit of Merkley Newman Harty in New York, has been rebranded I2i Communications to reflect the diversification of its client roster. Team South was launched in 1995 to handle direct marketing duties on the agency’s BellSouth account. It claims billings of about $70 million. Francine Edelman continues as president, while Joanna Kalliches has been promoted to executive vice president, executive creative director from senior vice president, creative director.

The MWW Group, a public relations firm headquartered in East Rutherford, N.J., has added Net2Wireless to its New York office’s portfolio of emerging technology clients. MWW will provide strategic media relations and marketing counsel to Net2Wireless in an effort to build brand awareness in the U.S. for the Israel-based company. The client’s technology allows companies access to applications that had previously been available only through advanced networks. The Net2Wireless Applications Servers provide wireless Internet services that include e-mail, streaming video/audio, instant messaging and unified dynamic storage and mes- saging. The agency has also added ValueClick, a pay-for-performance online advertising network, to its New York office client roster. The client offers Web publishers the opportunity to generate advertising revenue and delivers targeted ads for Web advertisers who only pay for results.

Integrated agency Frankfurt Balkind in New York has made known the rebranding of Benchmarking Partners, a consulting firm focused on e-business transformation. The client is now Surgency. The name change is part of a larger, integrated branding and communications program created by Frankfurt Balkind, a Surgency ecosystem partner and Surgency’s integrated agency of record. As a partner, Frankfurt Balkind will help provide branding and marketing solutions for Surgency clients.

Spontaneous Combustion, a digital studio in New York that specializes in creating visual effects and design for the advertising, broadcast and film industries, de-signed a campaign to promote the NFL retail shop found at NFL.com, as well as merchandise found in traditional retail outlets. The studio produced 20 spots for the NFL Properties Advertising and Design Department highlighting actual footage of football greats who serve as inspiration for current NFL merchandise.

Len Dugow & Associates, an advertising, public relations and interactive agency headquartered in New York, has opened a new office in Chicago to serve the Midwest market. The agency will initially target Chicago’s real estate, dot-com, healthcare, manufacturing and financial sectors. Ad-vertising veteran Linda Tuke has been hired to head the Chicago office as vice president, director of account services.

Chris Roberts, supervisor of World Wide Web services for Buck & Pulleyn in Rochester, has been appointed a 2000 WebAwards competition judge by the Web Marketing Association in Boston. He is responsible for evaluating a number of corporate Web sites, judging them on the basis of design, technology and ease of navigation in relation to the sites’ objectives.

The New York City Chapter of the Multiple Sclerosis Society has assigned the devel- opment of its new Web site to Pisarkie- wicz Mazur & Co in New York. The site, msnyc.org, which launches late this month, will showcase user-friendly features such as large type and easy navi-gation tools. The site will also deliver information to the full community of MS Society supporters with special areas for direct donations and registration for special local events, such as the annual MS Bike Tour.

The Geppetto Group in New York has created a new 30-second spot for Pillsbury Toaster Strudels, with editorial services by Editing Concepts’ Jesse Reisner. The commercial shows a high-strung youth who bolts out of bed and races to public school. Before he leaves home, he savors a moment of downtime with a Pillsbury Toaster Strudel. When the toaster pops and he drizzles the icing on the crust, time seems to slow down—almost to a standstill—while colors soften and sounds around him are silenced. As he throws the last morsel in the air, it hangs for a moment before dropping into his mouth. Satisfied with this gustatory interlude, the youth runs out the door as life returns to its normal hustle and bustle. The spot is currently running nationally on broadcast and cable.

Environmental Technology, a commercial remediation company that researches, develops and deploys environmentally friendly technologies and services for the cleanup of PCBs and organic compounds, has tapped Media Logic to help create a professional corporate identity and branding strategy to launch the company on its path of global growth. Albany-based Media Logic created a strategic marketing plan to establish Environmental Technology’s superiority in the marketplace, inform prospects about its range of products and services, and generate leads and political support. The agency originated a new logo and tagline for the Albany-based client: “Nature through science restored. The new corporate image is also maintained through new company collateral materials, such as a corporate brochure, and a Web site that provides remediation news and information on emerging technologies.

In addition, Media Logic has also made known that it recently held its first employee art show. The event, “Art Comes Out,” was held at the agency’s office and was open to all 63 employees for submissions; nearly 40 works were submitted in all.

Consumer-research Web site Consum- erSearch.com in New York has acquired Product ReviewNet.com from the Rain Corp. of Worcester, Mass. PRN organizes and summarizes the most credible product reviews from reputable sources, and will now link to the ConsumerSearch cache of reports on what reviewers say in categories that include DVD players, online brokers and mattresses.

John Stevenson Gallery is presenting an exhibition of new work by photographer Sheila Metzner, called “New York City 2000,” at the gallery, located at 338 West 23rd St. in New York. The exhibition opened Sept. 6 and continues through Oct. 21; it features 25 handcoated platinum prints in large format on folio sheets, and all the images are of New York subjects, such as the Empire State Building and the Brooklyn Bridge. Metzner began her career in 1961 as an assistant to Lou Dorfsman at CBS Network Advertising; her other positions included working as art director at the former Doyle Dane Bernbach.

Envera, a member-driven service accelerating business efficiency for the chemical and petroleum industries, has hired Martin Public Relations to handle strategic communications counsel, national media analyst relations and investor relations. The agency has offices in New York, Richmond, Va., and Nashville, Tenn.

NEW JERSEY

Amber Design Associates in Hackettstown has won nine creative awards this year. The branding and marketing-communications agency won in the direct-mail category at the Creativity 2000 competition for Microsoft’s Business Solutions Group campaign and in the illustration category for the shop’s “Three Little Pigs” direct-mail poster. The shop received a Silver Summit award in the annual-report category for its 1998 Schawk annual report. Also for Schawk, Amber Design Associates won a Graphic Design:usa award in the trade-advertising category, and was recognized in the newsletter category for a quarterly newsletter targeted at Schawk’s clients and new-business clients. The shop also won Jasper awards for Schawk’s 1999 annual report and newsletter, as well as for the McBee Payroll bank brochure. The “Three Little Pigs” poster was recognized with an Astra award from the New Jersey Communications, Advertising and Marketing Association.

R&J Integrated Marketing Communications in Parsippany has been tapped as the international public relations agency for Imtech Corp., an organization specializing exclusively in advanced display systems. R&J will create and implement a comprehensive public relations program that includes media relations, corporate communications and trade-show support.

Marketing-service company Parker & Partners Marketing Resources in Absecon and its creative affiliate Inkworks Creative Design Studio have added four companies to their client list. Ul.net, located in Marlton, is a Web-integration company that provides strategy development, integration and hosting of critical e-service projects for Fortune 500 companies. AC Coin & Slot Services Co., headquartered in Pleasant-ville, develops and distributes slot ma-chines, slot products, seating, signage and themed interior-design services to casino companies throughout the U.S. Renault Winery in Egg Harbor City/Galloway Township is one of the oldest continuously operated wineries in the U.S. and is a recognized historic site in New Jersey. The Madison House Hotel is a Victorian hotel in Atlantic City.

PENNSYLVANIA

Brian Tierney, CEO of Tierney Communications, an advertising and public relations firm in Philadelphia, has been named chairman of the Republican National Committee Catholic Task Force. He was chosen to help the organization reach Catholic voters.

Sheetz, an Altoona-based convenience-store chain, has awarded its advertising and branding responsibilities to Neiman Group of Harrisburg.