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Warehouse Retailer Selects StrawberryFrogNEW YORK Sam's Club, a division of Wal-Mart, has chosen StrawberryFrog to handle creative chores after a review. The independent agency will develop both internal and external communications for the warehouse chain. "We plan to take the third-largest retailer and give them a spark of cultural movement," said Scott Goodson, CEO and CCO of StrawberryFrog in New York. The account was handled by Omnicom's GSD&M in Austin, Texas, which was not invited to defend. Other contenders were not disclosed. Wal-Mart spent more than $15 million to advertise Sam's Club last year and $3 million in measured media during the first six months of 2006, according to Nielsen Monitor-Plus.Euro RSCG vs. DDB For $250 Mil. SafewayBOSTON Omnicom's Goodby, Silverstein & Partners has exited Safeway's broadcast creative and media review, leaving two agencies to pursue the supermarket chain's estimated $250 million account. Still in the hunt are Havas' Euro RSCG in New York and Omnicom's DDB in Chicago, said Judy Neer, president of Pile and Co., the Boston-based consultancy conducting the review. Goodby in San Francisco withdrew because of its workload, said Neer, but she did not elaborate. The client cut WPP's Young & Rubicam after the last round of agency meetings two weeks ago, said sources. Y&R's New York office was leading the effort, with help from its San Francisco outpost. Final presentations will take place at the client's Pleasanton, Calif., headquarters this week. The incumbent, IPG's Dailey & Associates in West Hollywood, Calif., is not participating in the review. Safeway, which operates more than 1,770 stores in the U.S. and Canada, reported 2005 sales of $38.5 billion, according to Hoovers Online. The winning agency will create broadcast ads and plan and buy media. Strategic planning and promotional marketing also are part of the assignment. Saatchi Promotes Hytner To Global Deputy ChairmanNEW YORK Saatchi & Saatchi has named Richard Hytner to the new post of worldwide deputy chairman in charge of broadening the agency's offerings and redefining its strategy and planning function. Hytner, who is based in London and was chairman and CEO for operations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, picks up the strategy leadership role from Kevin Dundas, who is leaving the Publicis Groupe agency after seven years. Hytner's regional leadership duties will shift to Jim O'Mahony, the chief executive for Asia, Australia and Latin America since March 2004. O'Mahony, who is based in New York, takes the new title of CEO for EMEA, Asia and Latin America. Both O'Mahony, 51, and Hytner, 46, will continue to report to Saatchi global CEO Kevin Roberts, 55. Dundas, 44, had been worldwide strategy chief since January 2005. He was named to the role in October 2004, when Saatchi hired former Red Cell co-CEO Lee Daley to become chairman and CEO of the shop's U.K. Group. Before that, Dundas had been CEO of Saatchi's London office. The global role involved regular traveling and after more than 20 years in the industry, Dundas said it was time for a break. "I'm traveled out," he said. Hillshire Farms Awards Creative to TBWA\C\DNEW YORK Omnicom's TBWA\Chiat\Day has been selected to handle creative duties on Sara Lee's Hillshire Farm brand after a review against incumbent Element 79, the client has confirmed. Estimated billings are $25 million. The account win comes three months after TBWA\C\D in Playa del Rey, Calif., won creative duties on the client's namesake bakery and deli products as part of the same review. Publicis in New York was the incumbent on the $35 million bakery and deli account, but withdrew before final presentations, leaving TBWA\C\D and Omnicom's Element 79 in Chicago to contend for the business. TBWA\C\D now handles creative chores on Sara Lee's Ball Park franks, Jimmy Dean sausages, State Fair corn dogs and Senseo coffee machines. Major media spending on the Sara Lee food labels now at TBWA\C\D totaled about $110 million last year, per Nielsen Monitor-Plus. The client is headquartered in Chicago. OfficeMax Targets Students Via 'Schooled' TV SpecialCHICAGO OfficeMax has entered the branded entertainment realm with Schooled, a reality-style TV show that premiered last Thursday on Disney-owned ABC Family. The program, co-developed by Disney and OfficeMax shop DDB in Chicago, played like a Punk'd for the middle-school set. Eighth graders in East-chester, N.Y., are called back from summer break to take a test in order to "advance into high school." The exam is bogus, and the kids are ultimately treated to a performance by teen idol Jesse McCartney. The hour-long special was presented without commercials. Downloads of outtakes and additional McCartney clips will be available on Google Video. The retailer will also give away free DVDs of the show with every purchase. The program is designed as a new way for OfficeMax to reach junior-high, high-school and college students without being intrusive. "We wanted to connect with kids where they live, which is reality TV and online," said Bob Thacker, chief marketing officer at the Itasca, Ill.-based retail chain.Blacks, Hispanics Believe In Brands They KnowNEW YORK A new survey suggests that both African Americans and Hispanics have strong trust in brands. The Yankelovich Monitor Multicultural Marketing Study, released last week, found that both groups are increasingly reconnecting to their respective roots, which has implications for marketers who want to maintain their brand message in front of these consumers. The study shows that both groups are reconnecting to their cultures more than ever before, with 67 percent of African Americans and 71 percent of Hispanics acknowledging, "My roots and heritage are more important to me today than they were just five years ago." The good news for marketers is that 58 percent of Hispanics and 55 percent of African Americans said, "It is risky to buy a brand you are not familiar with." Only 42 percent of African Americans and 40 percent of Hispanics said they would "buy private label and generic brands" if their families unexpectedly found themselves with less money.Spivak Returns to New York As CCO of CCA AdvertisingNEW YORK Veteran agency creative Helayne Spivak has been hired as chief creative officer of healthcare specialty shop CCA Advertising here. Spivak will focus on building CCA's core business and provide counsel to parent Chandler Chicco Agency. Most recently, she was a group creative director at Omnicom's Energy BBDO in Chicago, working on Bayer products including Aleve, Midol and One-A-Day Vitamins. "This is an opportunity . . . to build on what they have, and perhaps, because most of my experience is in consumer, to potentially expand" beyond the business-to-business space, said Spivak. She is also looking forward to returning to New York. "I never thought I'd live anywhere in my life but New York. But Chicago has been a great experience," she said. "I miss home." Spivak, who has held positions such as worldwide creative director at JWT and CCO at Young & Rubicam, joins CCA on Sept. 12. A copywriter who began her career at Ally & Gargano in New York, she has created campaigns for clients such as Sears ("Come see the softer side of Sears"), Burger King, UPS and Sanyo.

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