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Goodyear Sues Bridgestone/FirestoneDETROIT--Bridgestone/Firestone said the review of its $10 million account is not connected to a lawsuit filed by rival Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. Akron, Ohio-based Goodyear filed suit in U.S. District Court in Ohio seeking an injunction against Bridgestone/Firestone advertising for its FT70c tires, which Goodyear alleges makes unfair comparisons to its Aquatred II tires. TBWA Chiat/Day, New York, is the incumbent on Nashville, Tenn.-based Bridgestone/Firestone's account. Its retail unit, The Persuasion Group in Venice, Calif., will defend the account. Among the shops sources said have been asked to participate in the review are: D'Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles, Troy, Mich.; Foote, Cone & Belding and Cramer-Krasselt, both in Chicago; and Lowe & Partners/SMS, Publicis/Bloom, Adler Boschetto Peebles & Partners and Kirshenbaum Bond & Partners, all in New York.Continental Sets Credential MeetingsDALLAS--Continental Airlines has scheduled credentials presentations for its $50 million global advertising account with at least seven of the eight agencies that had been contacted last month, sources said. Set to make presentations over the next three weeks to the Houston-based airline are: TBWA Chiat/Day, Grey Advertising, J. Walter Thompson, Ammirati Puris Lintas and N.W. Ayer & Partners and Ogilvy & Mather, all New York, and Campbell-Ewald, Warren, Mich. Another agency, Foote, Cone & Belding, New York, has dropped out of the review due to a conflict with its Northwest Airlines client. A decision is expected in late summer. The Richards Group in Dallas, the incumbent, is defending its $30 million U.S. portion of the account.Snapple to Deutsch; DiNoto Lee Picks Up MisticNEW YORK--Deutsch here has won the $35 million Snapple account without a review from the brand's new owner, Triarc Beverage Group, in New York. As a result, Triarc is moving the $10 million account for its Mistic beverages to startup DiNoto Lee here from Deutsch, according to Ken Gilbert, senior vice president of marketing for Triarc's Mistic unit in White Plains, N.Y. Deutsch, which unveiled its first Snapple ad last week featuring the return of 'Wendy,' was awarded the business after Triarc's distributors reacted enthusiastically to the new spot, said Gilbert. 'It was clear Deutsch was the right agency for this brand.' DiNoto Lee, founded by two former Deutsch executives earlier this year, was awarded Mistic because both agency principals worked on the brand while at Deutsch.Leap Defends Vision Despite Stock DeclineCHICAGO--Rick Lutterbach, chairman of The Leap Group, told attendees at its first stockholders meeting that the holding company's core value remains strong despite the steady decline of its stock price. He said the importance of the loss of the Niketown account was 'overly magnified.' The company's board authorized a buyback of up to 1 million shares. Leap reported first quarter revenues of $4 million, a 120 percent increase over a year ago. It attributed a new loss of $1 million to startup costs for its Los Angeles office and its Quantum Leap subsidiary, and to the acquisition of YAR Communications in New York.A&A Conducts Cargill ReviewCHICAGO--Consultant ADvice & ADvisors in New York is conducting an agency review for commodities conglomerate Cargill in Wayzata, Minn. A group of Midwest agencies, primarily in Minneapolis and Chicago, has been contacted about a new national marketing communications program targeting Cargill customers. Contenders must have capabilities in public relations, promotions, field marketing, direct and interactive as well as advertising. No budget was disclosed; A&A said it will be 'substantial' and a national marketing effort.MasterCard Presentations Are Under WayDALLAS--MasterCard International has heard presentations from two of the five contenders for the creative portion of its $85-90 million account. GSD&M, Austin, Texas, presented last week, following an earlier presentation by Messner Vetere Berger McNamee Schmetterer/Euro RSCG, New York. The remaining contenders--Grey Advertising and McCann-Erickson, both New York, and Leo Burnett, Chicago--are scheduled to present next week.Saatchi to Unveil 'Living Billboard' for DeltaNEW YORK--Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising and client Delta Air Lines will unveil a 'living billboard' today, perched above the Port Authority bus terminal in Manhattan. The billboard will be a cross-section of a Delta plane with live 'flight attendants' and passengers to highlight Delta's revamped transatlantic business class service. The agency initially proposed the idea for the media stunt as part of its winning pitch for Delta's $100 million account earlier this year.SNET Taps Publicis, Adds New ChoresNEW YORK--Southern New England Telecommunications, New Haven, Conn., has awarded its account to Publicis/Bloom here. Originally reported as a $15 million account that included creative and media planning, the business has been expanded to include direct response efforts and collateral work, sources said. In a related move, Michael Feinberg has joined Publicis/Bloom here as a principal associate group creative director to work on the SNET account and the BMW Eastern region dealership business. Feinberg worked on the AT&T Business Services account while at McCann-Erickson earlier this year and has held other creative director posts.Kirshenbaum Bows Out of Charles Schwab ReviewNEW YORK--Kirshenbaum Bond & Partners here has withdrawn from the $10 million Charles Schwab electronic trading review. Blazing Paradigm, San Francisco, and Mendelsohn/Zien, Los Angeles, are believed to be the finalists.McDonald's Cuts 'Campaign 55'CHICAGO--Bowing to pressure exerted by its franchisees, McDonald's Corp. has recanted its earlier vote of confidence in its 'Campaign 55' program. The fast-food marketer said its 55-cent discount plan would continue during breakfast time but would be eliminated for lunch and dinner. The new 'My McDonald's' ad themeline from Leo Burnett here will continue.Yet Another Airline Looks to Hire AgencyCHICAGO--American Trans Air has contacted agencies in its headquarters city of Indianapolis as well as Florida about taking on a creative assignment, sources said. ATA has handled creative in-house since its previous agency, Pitzell & Pollack, was acquired last November by another Chicago agency, Grant/Jacoby. The airline declined to comment.TBWA Chiat/Day Takes Grand EffieNEW YORK--TBWA Chiat/Day's ad campaign introducing the Sony PlayStation received the 1997 Grand Effie for the year's most effective advertising campaign at the Effies ceremony at New York's Marriott Marquis last week. Additionally, Ogilvy & Mather and BBDO won the most gold Effies with four each, followed by Fallon McElligott, Grey Advertising and McCann-Erickson with three golds each. McCann-Erickson garnered the highest number of Effies with a total of 12.WPP Buys Stake in Europe's CIANEW YORK--WPP Group has purchased a minority interest in CIA, one of Europe's leading independent media agencies. The London-based holding company gained the stake by acquiring Blugroup Holding BV, which held shares amounting to a 14 percent interest in the United Kingdom-based CIA.JMC&T Breaks Campaign for TCI CableNEW YORK--Jordan, McGrath, Case & Taylor here breaks its first TV spot this week for the cable TV division of Denver-based Tele-Communications Inc. with an ad called 'Grass Is Greener.' The 60-second spot attempts to persuade customers to stay with TCI cable over satellite TV due to its relative cost effectiveness and convenience. The tagline is: 'Now there's a better way.'JWT Launches Warner-Lambert RazorsNEW YORK--J. Walter Thompson, New York, has launched the first global image campaign for Warner-Lambert's Schick & Wilkinson Sword razor brands with a 30-second spot called 'Flex,' which broke last week in the U.S. The spot, featuring the tagline 'The feel of smart design,' shows a skier traversing a mountain and a golfer driving long off the tee to illustrate the benefits of using 'smart' designs. W-L will spend $100 million to support the global campaign.Y&R Gets Grand Met MediaNEW YORK--Young & Rubicam Advertising has been selected as the agency of record for all U.S. print media advertising for two of Grand Metropolitan PLC's divisions: International Distillers & Vintners North America and The Pillsbury Co. Y&R will also handle print media planning for ID&V North America, which markets such brands as Smirnoff Vodka, J&B Rare Scotch and Baileys Original Irish Cream. Pillsbury's print media planning will remain with its current brand agencies. The assignment is worth about $50 million.Compaq Consolidates at APLNEW YORK--Compaq Computer Corp. has consolidated some $200 million in worldwide billings at Ammirati Puris Lintas, which has handled the account in North and South America since 1992. Most of the duties had been divided among London-based Bates Europe, which handled Houston-based Compaq's advertising in Europe; Euro RSCG Ball Partnership in Hong Kong, which handled ads in Asia-Pacific; and Hakuhodo in Tokyo, which handles Compaq in Japan.GGT Takes Top Honors at AddysNEW YORK--GGT in London won Best of Show in Advertising at the 76th annual Art Directors Awards ceremony, sponsored by the Art Directors Club here. The agency won for ads it created for Capital Radio. Wieden & Kennedy, Portland, Ore., and @radical.media, a production company, received the highest number of wins, with five awards for ESPN work.Leo Burnett Assigned Prozac by Eli Lilly & Co.CHICAGO--Eli Lilly & Co. in Indianapolis has named Leo Burnett here first agency for consumer advertising for its Prozac pharmaceutical. Billings are estimated at $10 million. The agency declined comment.Newswire RoundupPetroleum Heat & Power Co. in Stamford, Conn., has named five New York semifinalists in the review for its $1-2 million ad account. Kirshenbaum Bond & Partners, Korey Kay & Partners, Berenter Greenhouse & Webster, Grybauskas Beatrice, and Levinson/GFS are vying to replace Corporate Branding Partnership, Stamford, Conn., which was not invited to defendDDB Interactive, Dallas, has been assigned design duties for the official Web site of DreamWorks SKG's first motion picture, The Peacemaker Brouillard Communications, a division of J. Walter Thompson, has won a $20 million account from Penn Traffic Co., Syracuse, N.Y., a $3 billion grocery retailer with more than 265 stores. Ron Foth Advertising, Columbus, Ohio, was the incumbent Buzz Inc., publisher of Buzz magazine and Buzz Weekly, has split with its ad agency Deutsch and is scouting for a new Los Angeles-area shop, according to president Scott Kramer. Deutsch's Santa Monica, Calif., office has handled the $2 million account since last year.Copyright ASM Communications, Inc. (1997) ALL RIGHTS RESERVED East

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