Newswire

ASME ‘Worries’ About Notice to Advertisers





NEW YORK–The American Society of Magazine Editors will release a statement today about the escalating practice at some magazines of giving advertisers advance notice of upcoming editorial content, said Frank Lalli, ASME president and managing editor of Money. The statement reads in part: ‘A number of publishers routinely alert advertisers about upcoming stories so that advertisers can decide whether to reschedule, or even pull, their ads squared . . . . The ASME board worries that some advertisers may mistake an early warning as an open invitation to pressure the publisher or editor to alter, or even kill, the article in question.’A new ASME subcommittee will soon meet with the marketing committee of the Magazine Publishers of America to discuss the matter, Lalli said.





Lowe Strengthens Presence in Latin America





NEW YORK–Lowe & Partners Worldwide, The Lowe Group’s main advertising network, announced its entry into Colombia last week through a partnership with Sokoloff Samper Polar Mora in Bogota. Lowe has taken a substantial minority stake in SSPM, which will be renamed Lowe & Partners/SSPM.





DMB&B Could Add SBC Assignments





CHICAGO–D’Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles in St. Louis is in line to receive additional assignments from client SBC Communications as it absorbs Pacific Telesis. SBC, parent of Southwestern Bell, may assign DMB&B the Pacific Bell products and services business, currently at Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco, sources said. Goodby last week was awarded Pac Bell’s long-distance account, with potential billings of about $40 million, previously at Ketchum Advertising in San Francisco. Goodby won SBC’s long- distance account earlier this year after a review that included DMB&B, which handles media buying for SBC Communications, the corporate account and Southwestern Bell’s residential and products and services accounts. The agency’s total SBC business is estimated by sources at $90 million.





It’s Official: Think Fathom





NEW YORK–As expected (Adweek, May 12), Think New Ideas here has completed its acquisition of Fathom Advertising in Los Angeles. Larry Kopald, managing partner of Fathom, has been named chief creative officer of the merged agencies and president of Think West in Los Angeles. Under terms of the deal, Omnicom Group, which had previously purchased a stake in Think, has exchanged its 100 percent ownership of Fathom for a bigger share in Think valued at around 19 percent. Fathom’s sole client, software marketer Oracle, will be serviced by the combined shop. Other clients include Anheuser-Busch and Coca-Cola.





Coen Predicts Expenditures Increase





NEW YORK–Total 1997 U.S. advertising expenditures are expected to reach $186 million, for a gain of 6.2 percent over last year, predicted Robert Coen, senior vice president, director of forecasting at McCann-Erickson, last week at the Interpublic Group of Cos. briefing held here. He warned, however, that the spike from high political advertising in 1996 will make it difficult for television stations to post much of a gain against last year’s record. Coen issued healthy reports on overseas advertising as well, saying he expected it to reach $226 billion, a gain of 6.3 percent over 1996.





Zimmerman to Relaunch Roosevelt Hotel





ATLANTA–Because of its experience managing the ad account of The New York Palace hotel in the early 1990s, The Zimmerman Agency, Tallahassee, Fla., was enlisted to relaunch The Roosevelt Hotel in New York. The property closed two years ago to undergo renovations. The client will spend approximately $1.2 million annually on print work and direct mail.





TBWA Chiat/Day to Make Tire Presentation First





NEW YORK–The review for the $10 million account of tire maker Bridgestone/Firestone, Nashville, Tenn., has been delayed so that incumbent TBWA Chiat/Day here can make its presentation before the client reviews work from competing shops, sources said. Trevor Hoskins, the client’s senior vice president of public affairs, declined to comment.





Lowe Firms Up San Francisco Plans





SAN FRANCISCO–Lowe & Partners/SMS has secured temporary office space at 655 Montgomery St. in San Francisco as its first step toward establishing a permanent West Coast location. The office is expected to hire at least 50 people, according to agency co-chairman Marvin Sloves. The agency also is a finalist for the $4-8 million corporate branding account of Seattle-based Eddie Bauer. The other contenders are Citron Haligman Bedecarre of San Francisco and Rubin Postaer and Associates in Santa Monica, Calif.





MSG Network Explores Agency Relationship





NEW YORK–The Advertising Agency Register here has sent questionnaires to several New York agencies on behalf of MSG Network here. An MSG representative said the AAR has been retained to explore several possibilities, one of which would be hiring the client’s first shop in five years. Questionnaires are due back June 30. The questionnaire indicates that the client plans to spend $2-5 million on a branding campaign.





CKS, LVL End Merger Negotiations





SAN FRANCISCO–CKS Group, parent of CKS Partners, has discontinued negotiations to acquire LVL Communications in Palo Alto, Calif., according to sources (Adweek, June 2). LVL has renewed its search to find a financial backer, sources said. Separately, CKS Partners, Cupertino, Calif., has exited the review for Sprint’s interactive account due to conflicts with client MCI.





Stations Casinos Begins Agency Search





LOS ANGELES–Stations Casinos, a Las Vegas-based chain of gaming establishments, is launching a search for shops to handle creative duties on a project basis. ‘We’re looking for mostly West Coast agencies, creative boutiques or design houses,’ said Michael McNabb, vice president of advertising at Stations Advertising, the casino’s in-house ad agency. Stations spends roughly $10 million on media advertising each year, according to McNabb.





Freeman Cosmetics Seeks TV Buyer





LOS ANGELES–Freeman Cosmetics is looking to hire an agency to handle the TV buying portion of its $8 million account. The Beverly Hills, Calif.-based international marketer of skin and hair care products is focusing its search on Los Angeles agencies and media buying companies. WPA Communications, a Santa Monica, Calif., boutique, will continue to handle the creative portion of the account.





Jack Connors: No Interest in Houston Herstek





BOSTON–Jack Connors, the chief executive officer of Hill, Holliday, Connors, Cosmopulos, last week said he has no desire to pursue a deal with Houston Herstek Favat. Hill, Holliday had been identified by sources as interested in pursuing a bid on its ailing rival (Adweek, June 16). ‘Nothing could be further from the truth,’ Connors said.





N.W. Ayer Launches Continental in New York





NEW YORK–N.W. Ayer & Partners here has launched a campaign for Continental Airlines, which extols the advantages of the client’s Newark International Airport hub. The Houston-based carrier is the only one with a New York-area hub. The campaign will include radio, newspaper, direct mail and promotional events, along with a significant outdoor presence. The campaign features the tagline, ‘Fly Continental out of Newark.’ The agency was awarded the integrated marketing project in April. The Richards Group is the lead agency for the carrier, handling Continental’s $30 million U.S. ad account. The client is currently reviewing its global $50 million ad account.





Kodak Consolidates at Ogilvy & Mather





NEW YORK–Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide here has been assigned all product and service advertising for the Eastman Kodak Co.’s consumer imaging business. This estimated $40-50 million assignment, previously handled by J. Walter Thompson Worldwide, includes creative and media duties for Kodak film and traditional camera advertising. Ogilvy currently handles Kodak’s Advantix Advanced Photo System products, one-time-use cameras and corporate image advertising. Separately, Ogilvy will continue to handle Kodak’s digital and applied imaging business. Ogilvy is now responsible for about $300 million in Kodak ad spending. This move marks the end of Kodak’s 66-year relationship with JWT.





Penske Prepares Contender Cut





DETROIT–Penske Auto Center in Troy, Mich., is expected this week to narrow the review for its $15-22 million account, said sources. Among the agencies believed to be involved in the first round are incumbent Harris, Baio & McCullough in Philadelphia, plus McCann-Erickson, Troy, Mich.; W. B. Doner & Co. and Mars Advertising, both in Southfield, Mich.; Perich + Partners, Ann Arbor, Mich.; and Impact Communications Group in Chicago. J. Walter Thompson here was invited to participate, but declined due to conflicts, sources said. Penske executives did not return calls seeking comment.





Nabisco’s Grey Poupon and A.1 in Review





NEW YORK–Nabisco roster agencies Foote, Cone & Belding and McCann-Erickson Worldwide here are competing for the company’s Grey Poupon and A.1 accounts. Incumbent Lowe & Partners/SMS, New York, resigned the business after the client decided to place the account in review. Nabisco spent about $8 million advertising Grey Poupon last year and about $12 million on A.1 steak sauces, according to Competitive Media Reporting. A Nabisco representative in Parsippany, N.J., said the contest should be completed by August.





Burnett to Add More P&G Business





CHICAGO–Procter & Gamble said Leo Burnett here will handle the estimated $65 million Tampax account when its pending acquisition of Tambrands is completed. The global account has been handled by Foote, Cone & Belding’s New York office since October 1996, but FCB also is a global agency for Kimberly-Clark Corp., which P&G considered a conflict. Additionally, saying it was ‘balancing agency assignments,’ P&G moved responsibilities for Pampers in Latin America and Tempo facial tissue in Europe and Hong Kong to D’Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles from Burnett. Billings for those assignments were not disclosed.





Newswire Roundup





Burkhardt & Hillman, New York, has been awarded advertising responsibility for New York’s Hotel Plaza Athenee. The shop will create print work with a ‘high-end, yet edgy’ feel, according to Ron Burkhardt, chief executive officer of the shop. Billings were estimated at $1 million.





Fortune, a Time Inc. publication here, has awarded its ad account to Fallon McElligott in Minneapolis after a reviewWalgreen Co., Deerfield, Ill., has awarded its spot television and radio buying account to Advanswers, St. Louis, the agency said. Walgreen spent nearly $30 million in spot broadcasting last year, according to Competitive Media ReportingA half-dozen agencies are vying for the $3 million Veryfine ad account. The Hayes Group of Wiliston, Vt.; Greenberg Seronick O’Leary & Partners, Holland Mark Martin, Houston Herstek Favat and Ingalls Advertising, all in Boston; and Leonard/Monahan of Providence, R.I., have been asked to make capabilities presentations to the juice maker in Westford, Mass. The incumbent, Mullen in Wenham, Mass., resigned the assignment last month.





Copyright ASM Communications, Inc. (1997) ALL RIGHTS RESERVED





SCROLL East