Sprint Nextel has consolidated its whopping $745 million media buying and planning work at MindShare. Starcom handled media duties for Sprint prior to its merger with Nextel.
CBS has trimmed the agencies in contention for its $130 million media account down to three: Initiative Media, OMD, and the incumbent, Carat.
Fortune Magazine has hired the New York office of StrawberryFrog to help build its brand. The agency is on retainer for the magazine. Presently, Fortune does not have an agency of record. Creative will break in the fall.
Consumer package goods company Reckitt Benckiser has placed its $600 million global advertising account in review. Incumbents McCann-Erickson, Euro RSCG, and J. Walter Thompson will defend.
Verizon Wireless has awarded Moroch Latino brand planning, creative development, media planning and buying and promotional marketing duties in 15 markets in the south. Spending was not released.
Touted as its largest creative win, AKQA was awarded the interactive design contract for USPS.com. The agency has been tapped to maintain and update USPS' current flagship site and develop a plan to redesign the entire Web site experience. The win is a share of the $55 million contract.
General Motors has placed its Buick, GMC, and Pontiac brands in review. Incumbents Lowe Worldwide, McCann-Erickson, Leo Burnett and Martin Retail Group will defend the $200 million account.
TBWAChiatDay has been awarded creative duties on Masterfoods USA's Snicker's brand. The account is valued at $40 million.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios has tapped Palisades Media Group to handle its media planning and buying duties. The account is estimated at $120 million.
Lowe has been awarded creative duties, estimated at $50 million, on EarthLink's advertising account.
Agency.com has been named interactive agency of record by Del Monte Foods Company. The account will be managed out of Agency.com's San Francisco office. The agency will handle all Web site development, online marketing and digital strategy. Spending was not released.
Comcast has narrowed its search for a media agency down to three: MediaVest, PHD and Carat.
Radisson Seven Seas has placed its advertising account, estimated between $5 and $7 million, in review. Margeotes/Fertitta & Partners handles the work.
Wunderman New York has been awarded a multimedia campaign assignment by The Wall Street Journal. The assignment consists of DRTV spots and Web advertising slated to launch in the first quarter of '06. Mediaedge:CIA will handle the media buying. The account is estimated at $1 million.
Empower MediaMarketing, Cincinnati will handle media planning and buying duties for the Commercial account of Humana Inc. Billings were not disclosed. Humana's creative will continue to be handled by various agencies. The most recent agency of record for Humana's Commercial media account was Northlich, Cincinnati.
After a three-month search, the Marcus Corporation has hired Kohnke Hanneken to handle its various Milwaukee area hotel accounts.
The Birmingham, Mich. office of McCann Erickson was named agency of record for the Travel Michigan account.
Audible, a provider of spoken audio entertainment, information and educational programming, has selected NETexponent for affiliate marketing, media partnerships and pay-per-click search management. Spending was not released.
689 Design has been selected as agency of record for Bigfoot Networks, a gaming hardware company. The agency will be responsible for all company branding, creative and media planning duties. Spending was not released.