Midwest Shops, Others Decline Hardee's Invite to Pitch

ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. – The long list of primarily Midwest agencies invited to pitch Hardee’s Food Systems quickly whittled itself down last week as several shops turned down the chance – some over a misconception, said Hardee’s.
Hardee’s broke with longtime agency Ogilvy & Mather/New York, partially over the client’s desire to split media and creative assignments. All media buying has been shifted to regional agencies and the review is for creative only on the $75-80 million business.
While the review initially was seen as an excellent opportunity for Midwest agencies, several of those known to have been invited declined, choosing to stick with smaller restaurant clients that pose conflicts.