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UPS Hands $100 Mil. Creative Biz to Martin

CHICAGO—United Parcel Service has shifted the creative portion of its estimated $100 million account to The Martin Agency, leaving Lowe Lintas & Partners with media duties. Martin, Richmond, Va., began doing project work for UPS last summer, said Susan Rosenberg of UPS. All creative was moved from Lowe Lintas to Martin in the last 4 or 5 weeks, in what Rosenberg called an “evolutionary” move. The Interpublic Group of Cos. owns Lowe Lintas and Martin.

Faltering Economy Hot Topic at 4A’s Convention

NAPLES, Fla.—The economic downturn and the dot-com shakeout were issues addressed last week at the American Association of Advertising Agencies’ 83rd Annual Management Conference. The four-day event in Naples, Fla., drew about 325 people, down from 460 last year. In a speech Thursday, Maurice Lévy, CEO of the Publicis Groupe, suggested agencies accept some responsibility for depleting Internet company budgets with disproportionate ad campaigns. On the client side, Pepsi-Cola North American CEO Gary Rodkin showcased a decade of Pepsi spots, the same day rival Coca-Cola broke its “Life Tastes Good” effort. On Friday, Steve Hayden, president, worldwide brand services, IBM, at Ogilvy & Mather in New York, Nina DiSesa, CCO at McCann-Erickson in New York, and Bob Kuperman, CEO of DDB in New York, debated whether large agencies can do great work. Also, outgoing 4A’s chairman Phil Dusenberry, chairman of BBDO North America, passed the reins to Brendan Ryan, CEO of FCB. The 4A’s also presented the 2000 O’Toole Awards. Fallon in Minneapolis took top honors for agencies with billings of more than $300 million. Carmichael Lynch in Minneapolis won first place for shops with billings between $30-300 million. Mad Dogs & Englishmen in New York won for agencies with less than $30 million in billings. Ornelas & Associates in Dallas won for multicultural advertising. Saatchi & Saatchi in New York won for public service broadcast, while DeVito/Verdi in New York won for public service print.

Zenith, Fallon Tapped for $75 Mil. Georgia-Pacific Work

LOS ANGELES—Zenith Media in New York won media buying for all Georgia-Pacific Corp. paper products brand lines following the Atlanta-based client’s media consolidation review of roster shops Fallon, Zenith and The Media Edge, all in New York. Budget is $75 million. Media planning was split: Zenith won planning for bath-tissue brands Angel Soft and Quilted Northern and the company’s Dixie brand; Fallon won planning for paper-towel brands Brawny and Sparkle and the Georgia-Pacific corporate brand.

Account Activity

Marconi Communications has put its $50 million account back in review after Grey’s resignation of the business last week, sources said. While Jeffrey Brooks, chief marketing officer of the London-based client, said Grey was never awarded the business and “withdrew themselves from consideration,” sources said Grey bested Bates in New York for the business in February. Bates is believed to be back in the contest along with three undisclosed others. … MindShare in Los Angeles has won the estimated $50 million global media account of Symantec’s Consumer Products and Enterprise Solutions units. … Jiffy Lube in Houston has put its $18 million-plus account up for review after parting with The Richards Group in Dallas.