Monday, July 28, 2014
- The Integer Group
Transamerica tapped The Integer Group as its lead brand agency, following a review. JWT previously handled the account. The company charged the Omnicom Group agency with helping to build its brand with each of its key audiences: consumers, intermediaries and customers. "The Integer Group has demonstrated innovation and creativity in its ability to reach diverse target markets with a focus on consumer and business marketing," said said Bill Tate, senior vice president of marketing at Transamerica. "We believe they are the right firm to help us evolve our Transform Tomorrow platform and drive positive engagement with our brand at all levels." Transamerica spent $21.6 million on measured media in 2013, according to Kantar Media. - Various Agencies
Georgia-Pacific's North American consumer business has added to its roster of agencies. The company selected Cutwater, San Francisco; Deutsch LA; Droga5, New York; and The Martin Agency, Richmond, Virginia, to develop campaigns for six brands. Working with Michael Lee of Madam to develop an initial set of prospects, the company didn't select agencies based on traditional creative pitches but focused instead on specific marketing capabilities each agency could add to the needs of individual brands. Cutwater was awarded Brawny paper towels; Deutsch LA scored Angel Soft bath tissue and Vanity Fair tableware; Droga5 added Quilted Northern bath tissue and Dixie tableware to its list of clients and The Martin Agency was awarded Sparkle paper towels. "Our brands participate in highly competitive categories," said Douwe Bergsma, chief marketing officer, North American consumer business for Georgia-Pacific. "To stand out is very challenging. The new agencies in our roster have proven track records for creative that breaks through today's clutter and delivers positive results for brands." According to Kantar Media, Angel Soft spent $25.2 million on measured media in 2013 and $3.6 million in Q1 of 2014. Brawny spent $6 million on measured media in 2013 and only $51,000 in Q1 of 2014. Quilted Northern spent $25.5 million on measured media in 2013 and $10.8 million in Q1 of 2014. Sparkle spent $8.9 million on measured media in 2013 and $5.7 million in Q1 of 2014. - Zimmerman Advertising
Following a review, Zimmerman Advertising was named online and traditional media planning and buying agency of record for Los-Angeles-based Lucky Brand, a manufacturer of men and women's denim, fashion and accessories. In addition to media planning and buying duties, Zimmerman's zSocial unit will handle Lucky Brand's social media activation. A brand relaunch showcasing Lucky Brand's mix of "music, motorcycles, vintage and California" is slated to launch in the fall. "As Lucky Brand evolves toward a more modern and versatile lifestyle vision, we're beyond thrilled to be working with Zimmerman," said Michael Griffin, Lucky Brand's executive vice president and product director. "Ultimately, it's all about creating a multimedia conversation that's as powerful and direct as it is relevant and timely." Jordan Zimmerman, founder and chairman of Zimmerman Advertising, added: "Lucky Brand is going to be a very special brand for us and we expect this to be a great partnership. Omni-channel retail is what we do and we are fortunate to have the opportunity to do it with Lucky." Lucky Brand spent $1 million on measured media in the first quarter of 2014, a significant increase from the brand's entire media spend in 2013 of $338,000, according to Kantar Media. - Giant Spoon
Keek, a mobile video social network, awarded its media and marketing account to independent agency Giant Spoon, following a review. Keek members create and interact with videos up to 36 seconds long and 111 characters of text, in either public or private views. "Giant Spoon provides the ability to be nimble and creative, while also understanding our strategy and marketing partnership goals," said Alexandra Cameron, CEO of Keek. "Aligning with their team will help us evaluate, execute and evangelize the brand more rapidly." "While Giant Spoon is a fairly new agency brand, the four founders have a long track record of working together to incubate several start-ups, creating and developing unique and effective advertising models for technology companies," said Alan Cohen, Co-Founder of Giant Spoon. Giant Spoon opened its doors this year with offices in Los Angeles and New York and clients that include GE, Lincoln, NBC and Cole Haan. - VML
Major league soccer team, Sporting Kansas City, tapped VML as its marketing partner to provide strategic planning and consulting for sponsorship activation. The partnership is slates to last for three years. "Together, VML and Sporting Kansas City will offer the ability to leverage innovative technology to not only engage consumers, but advance partner integration into that engagement in new and exciting ways," said Chuck Searle, chief client officer at VML. "Our focus will continue to put the fan at the center of all experiences -- pre-, during and post-match." Sporting Kansas City has 150 free Wi-Fi access points, more than 300 HDTVs and two main video boards for in-match participation. Additional VML clients include Colgate-Palmolive, Dell, Gatorade, the Kellogg Company, Kimberly-Clark, Krispy Kreme, Microsoft, NAPA AUTO PARTS, PepsiCo, Southwest Airlines, Tennessee Tourism, Wendy's and Xerox. Sporting Kansas City spent $363,000 on measured media in 2013, according to Kantar Media.
