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Lowe's Begins Whirlwind Agency Tour In $315 Mil. ReviewNEW YORK Lowe's begins chemistry meetings today with seven contenders for its $315 million ad account, sources said. Five client executives, led by vp of advertising Pete Woods, will visit independent Doner in Southfield, Mich., followed by IPG's Campbell-Ewald in Warren, Mich. Tomorrow, they visit Omnicom's Element79 in Chicago, which handles Lowe's Nascar-related advertising. The execs will fly to New York that afternoon to meet with Omnicom's TBWA\Chiat\Day and the incumbent, McCann Erickson, which has a pass to the finals. The Wednesday meetings at Omnicom's BBDO will be followed by a session at IPG's Deutsch, sources said. The client will cut to three finalists plus McCann by next week. Raleigh, N.C., consultancy Hasan + Co. is managing. Deutsch and Doner are using internal media resources, while McCann will use Universal McCann. Sibling Campbell-Ewald is pairing with Aegis' Carat, and the Omnicom shops will offer OMD, sources said.Blamer To Assume FCB CEO Job As Seid Quits N.Y. PresidencyNEW YORK Steve Blamer takes the reins on Thursday as worldwide CEO of IPG's Foote Cone & Belding, just one day after his contract expires with WPP's Grey. He succeeds Brendan Ryan, who will remain chairman. Blamer had risen through the ranks at Grey over 15 years to become CEO of Grey North America last year. He agreed to join FCB in January, when he left Grey to sit out the rest of his contract. The agency has yet to replace Blamer. Separately, Lynne Seid, president of FCB's New York office, resigned on Friday. She said she was weighing several job offers.Defense In Focus Media Trial Set To Start In Two WeeksLOS ANGELES The two top executives from defunct independent media agency Focus Media will begin their defense against conspiracy, mail fraud and wire fraud charges, during a June 27 status meeting at federal court in Los Angeles. According to the indictment, former chairman Thomas Rubin and CFO Thomas Sullivan are accused of stealing $23 million of former client Sears Roebuck and Co.'s $35 million media budget. The duo were arrested on June 2, five years after Sears and L.A.-based Focus fought in civil court about the payment of media bills. It was Sears' missed media payments that eventually forced Focus out of business. Both men have pled not guilty. The trial is set to begin July 12. Sears declined comment.Heineken Hires Agency Insight To Find International ShopsLOS ANGELES Heineken International in Amsterdam has hired London search firm Agency Insight to broaden its creative agency roster in Europe, the consultancy confirmed. The client last week acknowledged that—though it would continue to work with the Amsterdam office of independent Wieden + Kennedy, its pan-European agency—it is in "very initial discussions" with five shops about a branding initiative. A Heineken rep said that the search would focus on the headquarters of agencies that can reach into its 170 markets. Heineken spent an estimated $300 million on ads globally and about $75 million in the U.S., per Nielsen Monitor-Plus. Publicis in New York handles Heineken domestically.Schunker Rises At Coke North America; CP+B Revives "Hilltop"NEW YORK The Coca-Cola Co. said it has promoted Pio Schunker to vp of creative excellence in its North America marketing department. He succeeds Esther Lee, who in January was tapped to focus exclusively on Coke's global creative. Schunker, who joined Coke almost two years ago from WPP's Ogilvy & Mather, had been overseeing creative for several Coke brands. Schunker now oversees all brands and reports to John Hackett, svp of marketing for Coke North America. Separately, Coke said that a spot breaking June 27 for Coke Zero is an updated version of the classic 1971 "Hilltop" ad in which an ethnically diverse group of people sang "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing." In the new ad, by MDC's Crispin Porter + Bogusky in Miami, the band G. Love and Special Sauce sing a new version of the song that substitutes the word "sing" with "chill" to emphasize the tagline, "Everybody chill."

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