Y&R To Add Staff In California

Young & Rubicam’s California offices plan to add at least 80-90 employees by the summer as they gear up to take on Ford Motor Co.’s Lincoln-Mercury division. The San Francisco shop, which will handle creative duties, currently employs nearly 200 people.
Ford is in the process of moving its $275 million Lincoln-Mercury business from Detroit to Irvine, Calif. Y&R has followed suit by deciding to split ad duties on the account, previously handled by Y&R Detroit, between San Francisco and a new Irvine office [Adweek, March 23].