Floor care brand O-Cedar has chosen Empower as its new media AOR after a review that included incumbent Carat.  The O-Cedar brand, best known for its Easy Wring Spin Mop, is a brand of household goods manufacturer Freudenberg.    Empower’s expertise in the home category with clients such as Shaw Floors, Gorilla Glue, Rust-Oleum and Formica played a role in the decision-making process, per the agency.  “As a family-owned company, it is important to O-Cedar that we invest in partners that have the same culture and vision that built our brand,” stated Mike Esposito, director of marketing at O-Cedar. “With …

Hearing Aid maker Amplifon, has appointed SapientRazorfish as global agency of record for digital strategy and user experience. The selection came after a competitive pitch and the agency has begun work on a number of projects aligned with the client’s digital transformation strategy. “With SapientRazorfish, we selected a partner that is in line with our global approach to digitally disrupt Amplifon and the industry,” stated Cristiano Grassini Grimaldi, Digital Transformation Director of Amplifon. “A disruption driven by innovation and a deep understanding of our customers through data. We fully believe in a design-thinking approach that will enable us to explore …

Jewelry marketer Pandora has selected Mindshare for North America media planning and buying duties, the companies have confirmed.  The company spent $63 million on measured media in the U.S. last year according to Kantar Media. First-half 2017 spending was down sharply however to about $13 million versus $21 million for the same period a year earlier, per Kantar.  The incumbent on the business was Mindshare sibling agency Maxus, which merged with MEC to form Wavemaker earlier this year. The merger presented a conflict as MEC handles media chores for Tiffany & Co.  It was not clear if other agencies outside …

MTV has selected MullenLowe Mediahub as its U.S. media agency of record. Mediahub, will provide offline and digital media planning and buying services. This new relationship adds to Mediahub’s existing partnership with MTV’s Viacom sister brand VH1.  “We are thrilled to be partnering with Mediahub as we have seen their breakthrough work for VH1 over the past three years and we’re confident they will bring the same energy, enthusiasm and inventiveness to MTV,” stated Kate Keough, senior vice president, marketing, strategy & project management. “This is a significant moment for the brand as we get set to launch 30 new …

The academic open software partnership OLE(Open Library Environment) is appointing The Republik as its first-ever AOR to work on an entire brand refresh.  Previous work was handled by local agencies on a project basis. The North Carolina-based agency's scope includes name development, brand positioning, messaging, website development, and public relations. Their first collaboration will debut in 2018 aimed at academic and research librarians worldwide. The Republik will coordinate with multiple universities, inside and outside the U.S., which need to  approve the work. U.S. partner universities include Cornell, Duke, Lehigh, Texas A&M, University of Chicago and North Carolina State University, with …

Confectioner Perfetti Van Melle, which markets Mentos, Airheads and other products, has appointed Havas Media as its U.S. media agency of record following a competitive pitch.   The incumbent was Dentsu Aegis agency Carat which participated in the review. The company spent nearly $30 million on U.S. measured media last year according to Kantar Media.   Havas Media is tasked with developing strategy, insights, and digital content to promote Mentos and Airheads nationally. The win marks Havas Media’s first foray into the confectionery industry.   “At Perfetti van Melle, we help to make consumers’ lives sweeter with our innovative confectionery products,” stated …

Dean Foods has appointed Kirshenbaum Bond Senecal & Partners (KBS), part of MDC Partners as its new AOR following a formal review. Curiosity Advertising was the incumbent. KBS's pitch was led by the agency's new global chief strategy officer Ted Florea, "which shows how quickly our leadership team has galvanized the agency" says Guy Hayward, global chief executive officer, KBS. KBS will work closely with Dean Foods across a number of its brands including, DairyPure, TruMoo, Caribou Iced Coffee, Uncle Matt’s Organic, Mayfield, Dean’s Country Fresh, and Steve’s ice cream. Next year, the DairyPure brand is launching a new digitally-led …

Voicera is appointing Mad Ave Social as its first-ever social media agency of record following an informal review.  The new partnership coincides with the launch of a social media campaign designed to raise awareness for the company's artificial intelligence virtual assistant business platform. The company's “Eva” is like Amazon's Alexa, but serves as a next-generation, voice-based AI tool in open beta. Gartner says 60% of all business meetings with three or more participants will involve a virtual assistant within three years. The agency's scope of responsibilities will "go beyond" B2B and B2C messaging to  focus on the productivity and problem solving …

Hilton has selected Omnicom’s TBWA for global creative duties for its flagship brand after a review. The hospitality giant issued this statement: “Hilton conducted a closed review of its enterprise creative agency services, and we’re excited to confirm our appointment of TBWA. Fold 7 worked on portfolio campaigns for the past two years and remains an important part of Hilton’s agency roster. Hilton continues to work with other agencies including GSD&M, HZDG and The Martin Agency for various brands.  These other brands were not part of this review.” Joanne Davis Consulting assisted the client with the review process.

Backbone Media, a Colorado-based marketing agency, has been named the media buying agency of record for Yeti, a manufacturer of coolers, drinkware, and other outdoor products.  Backbone Media will handle Yeti’s media planning and buying, as well performance marketing. Backbone has served as the brand’s public relations agency of record since 2013.  “Yeti has retained a core following in the outdoor space because of its dedication to authenticity,” said Greg Williams, media director at Backbone Media. “As the media and public relations agency of record for Yeti we will integrate our services to help elevate and expand the brand’s presence …