Hotline

D'Arcy Staffers Told Not to Contact Sibling ShopsNEW YORK—D'Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles staffers were strongly discouraged Friday from contacting Publicis Groupe sibling agencies about securing jobs once D'Arcy is dismantled. An internal memo from D'Arcy chief branding officer Susan Gianinno (who will become Publicis USA CEO) said of staffers on Procter & Gamble: "No one should be initiating contact with the client or with anyone from another of the Groupe agencies. There is a formal process underway including a plan to communicate with all of you working on P&G businesses as soon as possible." Sources said D'Arcy staffers had reached out to Leo Burnett in Chicago and Saatchi & Saatchi, Publicis and The Kaplan Thaler Group, all in New York, which are absorbing much of D'Arcy's business. Gianinno could not be reached. $100 Mil. AARP Insurance Account in ReviewNEW YORK—United Healthcare has put its direct marketing account for AARP Supplemental Health Insurance into review and selected Matchworks to handle the process, the consultancy confirmed. Jan Boyle, a principal at Matchworks, put the budget at $100 million. Questionnaires are due to go out this week. Incumbent Seabury & Smith in Fort Washington, Pa., has been invited to defend, said Boyle.Unilever Reaches Beyond McCann on VaselineNEW YORK—Unilever is reaching outside incumbent McCann-Erickson in New York, an Interpublic Group agency, to get strategic ideas on its estimated $15 million Vaseline account, sources said. In recent weeks, both McCann and fellow Unilever roster shop Bartle Bogle Hegarty in New York, a Publicis shop, have presented concepts to client executives, said sources. The agencies declined comment and Unilever did not return calls. Capital One Taps Consultant; Pitches Begin This WeekNEW YORK—Capital One hired consultancy Bob Wolf Partners/TPG to handle its creative review among Publicis agencies, sources said. Saatchi & Saatchi, The Kaplan Thaler Group and incumbent D'Arcy, all in New York, will pitch the Falls Church, Va., client this week and next, sources said. The client spends about $170 million in U.S. media, according to CMR. Capital One and Wolf could not be reached. News RoundupBarcardi USA's rum division has tapped davidandgoliath for a creative assignment, the agency said. Sources said the Los Angeles agency bested IPG's McCann and WPP Group's Ogilvy & Mather, both in New York; Omnicom Group's BBDO in Chicago; and Momentum in St. Louis, which has handled Barcardi work in the past. The Miami-based client has primarily relied on print work by Avrett Free Ginsberg in New York. Universal McCann retains media duties. … U.S. ad spending for 2002 will be up almost 2 percent from 2001 to $143 billion, according to Zenith Optimedia, which releases its forecast today. Zenith predicts a 1 percent gain in global ad spending to $350 billion. Relative to the spending retreat among industrialized nations, U.S. ad budgets in 2002 practically maintained at 2001 levels in real terms, said Tim Jones, president, Zenith USA in New York.

Brand Marketing

Hotline

Adweek Staff

About

Subscriptions

Events

Publications

WORK SMARTER - LEARN, GROW AND BE INSPIRED.

Subscribe today!

Adweek Staff