SAN FRANCISCO Crossover Creative Group, an independent, multicultural advertising agency, has picked up two state advertising accounts targeting the African American market.
The Richmond, Calif.-based agency has been awarded a subcontract from the California Department of Health Services’ Tobacco Control Section. The shop won the business following a review that included Carol H. Williams Advertising in Oakland, Calif. The incumbent was Muse Cordero Chen & Partners in Los Angeles.
Crossover will work closely with Ground Zero in Marina del Rey, Calif., which is the state’s general marketing agency for tobacco control, as well as public relations firm Young Communications Group in Los Angeles and other tobacco control partners statewide to develop effective messages for this audience. The goal is to challenge and change the social norms surrounding tobacco use and encourage smoking cessation. Crossover’s responsibilities will include strategic planning, creative development, and media planning and buying targeting African Americans.
“We specialize in delivering powerful messages to ethnic communities and we’re extremely proud that TCS has chosen us to create and deliver messages that will hopefully save lives in the black community,” said Steve Climons, president of Crossover Creative Group.
Crossover also was awarded the California Highway Patrol’s traffic safety outreach campaign for the African American community after a review that included LaGrant Communications and Young Communications, both in Los Angeles, and Tobin & Associates in Hollywood, Calif. The campaign will focus on encouraging seat belt and child safety seat usage, as well as on driving under the influence, or DUI.
For this contract, Crossover will serve as the lead agency, providing strategic planning, creative development, and media planning and buying. It will receive support from Mason Tillman Associates, a minority woman-owned firm in Oakland, Calif., for primary research, and Crocker/Flanagan in Sacramento, Calif., for strategic, creative and media planning support.
The accounts are worth about $2 million combined, sources said.
California Awards Minority Work to Crossover
