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Monster.com Narrows Race to 4BOSTON—Four finalists have been named in the review for Monster.com's $75-90 million domestic advertising account. Arnold Communications, Boston, along with BBDO in New York, Wieden + Kennedy, Portland, Ore., and incumbent Mullen in Wenham, Mass., have advanced. Bozell, DDB and Ogilvy & Mather, all New York, had been semifinalists. DDB said it withdrew. State Anti-Smoking Search to EndLOS ANGELES—The California Department of Health Services is expected to announce this week the agency to handle its $45 million anti-smoking account. Final presentations by Ground Zero, Marina Del Rey, Calif., and Dailey & Associates, West Hollywood, Calif., were held last week. DGWB, Los Angeles, and Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco, pitched the finals. Deutsch/LA, Los Angeles, dropped out, while incumbent Asher/Gal was cut. Virgin Search Heats UpLOS ANGELES—Final presentations in the $25 million Virgin Entertainment agency search will take place Aug. 28. The national music retailer is looking for a shop to create a branding campaign for its Megastores retail chain and affiliated Web sites. 120, Los Angeles, Leagas Delaney, San Francisco, Calif., and undisclosed others are pitching. GMO Gets FriendlyBOSTON—Striving to define its niche in the increasingly competitive casual-dining marketplace, Friendly Ice Cream Corp. has awarded its advertising account to GMO/Hill, Holliday, San Francisco, without a formal review. The unit of Hill, Holliday, Connors, Cosmopulos in Boston was chosen by the restaurant chain based mainly on a past relationship between Friendly president and chief operating officer John Cutter and Goldberg Moser O'Neill, which was brought under the Hill, Holliday banner earlier this year by the firms' parent, the Interpublic Group of Cos. Cutter had worked with GMO in the 1990s in senior management at Boston Market restaurants. The budget is estimated in the $18-20 million range. New Movie Company Launches ReviewLOS ANGELES—Premiere Group, a new motion picture marketing and distribution company, has sent out a request for proposal for an agency to handle what it claims will be a $60-70 million broadcast advertising account, sources said. The RFP notes that the company was founded by Mitch Goldman, former New Line marketing and distribution executive, and that Premiere plans to release 30 films over three years beginning next year. Some agencies would probably be prevented from participating in such a review due to existing studio business. Fallon Creates United Apology AdsCHICAGO—United Airlines offered an ad apology for inconveniences its pilot dispute has caused travelers. The ad, from domestic agency Fallon Minneapolis, offered a statement from United chairman James Goodwin stating the dispute "isn't getting us where we want to go." The ad ran in several major newspapers last week.

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