Cargill Assigns Pair of Food Brands to Square One

Square One last week was chosen to handle the $5 million-plus advertising account of Cargill Turkey Products.

The account consists of Cargill’s two major retail brands: Honeysuckle White and Shadybrook Farms.

The New York office of TWBA\Chiat\Day previously handled the Honeysuckle White brand, and O’Connor Kenny Partners in Memphis, Tenn., held the Shadybrook Farms account. Square One competed against both incumbents as well as undisclosed competitors in a national review.

The agency review was held, the client said, to consolidate advertising on what had become two major brands. The Shadybrook Farms product line was recently purchased by Cargill.

Square One in Dallas had “just an excellent reputation, strong endorsements, well-rounded capabilities and key experience in our industry,” said Cargill director of marketing Lin Lauve.

Specifically, he said, Square One had the account experience of supervisor Evan Meeks, who had previously worked on Butterball and Sara Lee meat products while at PGC Advertising in Dallas.

Selected just two weeks before Thanksgiving, Lauve said Square One’s work for the second-largest turkey retailer in the U.S. will be aimed at 2002.

“It’s great to be aligned with such great brands,” said Square One partner Ernie Capobianco. “They play to our key strengths such as creative, strategic planning, promotions and media.”

The agency’s Southwest Media division will handle media buying.

Lauve said Cargill was looking for strategic help in finding new ways to grow the business.

“This is not about advertising or creative strategy,” Lauve said. “The trade customer is huge in our business. This is about helping us decide the best way to market each of these brands to them.”