Web Shop Murder, Inc. Launches

Interactive shop Murder, Inc. opens for business this week on the same San Francisco street as its founders at Odiorne Wilde Narraway & Partners, who have a majority stake in the venture.
OWN&P partners Wayne Buder and Jeff Odiorne will act as consulting partners for the company. Account planning director Keith McVaney is also a consultant.
Mafia-themed Murder, Inc. will be led by general manager Eli Friedman from OWN&P and interactive media director Katie Cushmore, formerly of Left Field Advertising, San Francisco.
A total of six staffers will open the office; they have already landed assignments from OWN&P clients EA Sports, Salon Magazine and Fogdog Sports.
Although OWN&P plans on tapping Murder, Inc., as its No. 1 interactive resource, the agency will not always share business with the new company. Murder, Inc., is involved in new-business pitches of its own, said Odiorne. The shop will create online ads and Web design, but also develop its own destination Web sites to show clients what it can do on the Internet.
“It is our personal mission to make the Internet a cooler space,” said Odiorne, adding that Murder, Inc. will also specialize in consulting and creative services for Internet startup companies looking to launch their brands and develop advertising campaigns to attract investors to their IPOs.