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Hedge Back in N.Y. for IPG RoleNEW YORK—Barrie Hedge, the former chairman of McCann-Erickson in San Francisco, is working for Interpublic Group in an operations role, sources said. Hedge is consulting for a few IPG units in New York that need marketing advice, according to one executive. Next year, he is expected to assume a more formal role. Hedge, co-founder of the former Angotti, Thomas, Hedge, left McCann in the fall [Adweek, Sept. 3] after a two-year stint there. He confirmed that he is working for IPG, but declined to elaborate on his future, noting that details were still being ironed out. Said Hedge: "We're dotting the i's and crossing the t's." BBDO Creates 3 More 'Miracle' SpotsNEW YORK—BBDO has produced three more spots for its "New York Miracle" campaign. Sources said one features Christopher Walken as a department-store Santa Claus. Two others star Vanessa Williams and Today Show weatherman Al Roker. If approved by the Mayor's Office, the spots are expected to run through the end of the year. Pizza Hut Reaches Out to Shops for Project WorkNEW YORK—Pizza Hut has contacted at least four shops about a review to handle special projects, sources said. Among the agencies the Dallas-based client is interested in are: Goodby, Silverstein & Partners in San Francisco, Merkley Newman Harty & Partners and Cliff Freeman and Partners, both in New York, and Wieden + Kennedy in Portland, Ore., sources said. In 1996, Goodby handled some children's ads for Pizza Hut. BBDO handles Pizza Hut's main ad account. A client representative confirmed the review but declined further comment. Spending is undisclosed. 7-Eleven Cuts to 3 for $25-30 Mil. BusinessDALLAS—7-Eleven has narrowed to three finalists in the review for its $25-30 million account, sources said last week. Remaining are GSD&M in Austin, Texas, and Deutsch and Wieden + Kennedy, both New York. Cut are Fallon in Minneapolis and TBWA\Chiat\Day in New York. The Richards Group in Dallas, which had previously handled some of 7-Eleven's business, dropped out of the review late last month. A representative of the Dallas-based chain declined comment. Sources said the finalists are preparing for last-round pitches in January. WPP Launches Mediaedge: CIANEW YORK—WPP Group has merged The Media Edge and Tempus Group's CIA Medianetwork into one company to be called Mediaedge: CIA, which claims billings of more than $17 billion worldwide and $4.6 billion in the U.S. Charles Courtier, global CEO of TME, and Mainardo de Nardis, global CEO of CIA, will head up the group as executive chairman and CEO, respectively. Beth Gordon, current chairman of TME, will become chairman of WPP's media parent company Global Mind Edge. Chris Ingram, CIA's founder and chairman, is in talks with WPP CEO Sir Martin Sorrell about his future with the company, sources said. Omnicom Forms Crisis Management Firm NEW YORK—Omnicom has created a new company to serve corporate, legal and government clients around the world who are seeking crisis management and security expertise. SafirRosetti will be led by former New York City police commissioner Howard Safir and Joseph Rosetti, who has served as vice chairman of Kroll Associates and security director for IBM. 6 Contend for GoRVing AccountATLANTA—Finalists in the ongoing $40 million GoRVing review will be expected to produce detailed brand-building work, as well as retail campaigns, for the Reston, Va.-based client, sources said. Last week, six semifinalists—The Martin Agency in Richmond, Va., McKinney & Silver in Raleigh, N.C., The Richards Group in Dallas, and WestWayne, J. Walter Thompson and Fitzgerald & Co., all in Atlanta—were chosen to face off in January against incumbent Eisner Communications in Baltimore. Three finalists will again face Eisner in a creative shoot-out in March, when a winner will be determined. MVBMS Promotes 4 to Partner PostsNEW YORK—Messner Vetere Berger McNamee Schmetterer/Euro RSCG has elevated four executives to partner, bringing the total number of partners at the New York-based agency to 29. The newly promoted executives are: Israel Garber, a 10-year veteran of MVBMS; Cindy Kenety, group account director on the Nestlé Prepared Foods Division account; Dan McLoughlin, who oversees the WorldCom account; and Sidney Rothberg, a broadcast producer. Newswire RoundupInterpublic Group shops Initiative Media North America and DraftWorldwide, both New York, have created ID Media though a joint venture engineered by IPG's The Partnership. Lynn Fantom, the former president of DraftWorldwide's New York office, will serve as chairman and CEO of ID Media. … BlumEllenson in New York has won Liberty Travel's $5 million creative account, following a review of undisclosed contenders. The work was previously in-house. … Northlich was tapped for Ohio's anti-tobacco effort, a four-year, $50 million contract. The Cincinnati shop beat out 11 other agencies. … Paul Kelly, 45, was named president and CEO of the Wolf Group network, based in Toronto. He joined Wolf Group last year as chief operating officer. Larry Wolf, previously CEO, will remain chairman of the network. … The Media Kitchen, the joint venture between Kirshenbaum Bond & Partners and Paul Woolmington, has landed a media planning and buying assignment from AT&T Broadband, the client confirmed. Sources said the New York-based shop is partnering with Horizon Media in New York, among others, on buying. Spending is estimated at $50 million.

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