Monday, February 15, 2016
- Spring O'Brien
Spring O'Brien was named North American agency of record for Eurail Group to provide PR and marketing services to support Eurail and its rail products throughout North America. Eurail Passes give travelers the opportunity to experience the culture, history and sights of Europe at their own pace. More than 330,000 people of all ages use Eurail Passes each year to explore any of the 28 member countries by train. - Mekanism
Following a review, Alaska Airlines named Mekanism as its agency of record. Wongdoody previously handled the account. The agency plans to open a Seattle office this month to service the airline and additional Seattle-based such as Amazon, Nordstrom Rack and Starbucks. Alaska Airlines unveiled a new brand identity last week, created by Hornall Anderson. The revamp includes a new signature wordmark, logo and color palette. "As we look to grow our Seattle hub and expand into new markets, now is the time to execute on a new creative campaign that complements our newly refreshed brand," said Sangita Woerner, vice president of marketing for Alaska Airlines. "This is a momentous time for Alaska, with their first brand refresh in 25 years," said Pete Caban, partner at Mekanism. "We are incredibly excited to roll-up our sleeves and begin working with this much-loved and iconic brand. Our new Seattle office will put us on the ground locally to support our Alaska partnership, while also providing opportunities for growth amongst the numerous blue chip businesses in the region." Alaska Airlines spent $14.6 million on measured media in 2014 and $7.6 million the first nine months of 2015, according to Kantar Media. - Genuine
Genuine was named digital agency of record for Spartan Race, tasked with enhancing and maximizing its digital reach. The agency's digital campaign will focus on performance driven media strategies, such as paid search, campaign and conversion optimization and new ad platforms. The goal is to increase race registration and merchandise sales in current and future locations, as the race expands its global footprint. "The Spartan Race is exactly the kind of brand we seek to team up with here at Genuine," said Carl Schwartz, vice president of digital media at Genuine. "It's an ambitious brand that actively embraces the rapid pace of change to affect good, and it's the type of challenge that fuels us. The Genuine team is excited to leverage our deep expertise in lead generation and sales-driving strategies for an aspirational and next generation brand like The Spartan Race." Spartan Race spent $1.2 million on measured media in 2014 and $374,000 the first nine months of 2015, per Kantar Media. - Yamamoto
Following a review, Yamamoto, a Minneapolis-based agency, was named agency of record for Xcel Energy, a U.S. electricity and natural gas company that operates in eight Western and Midwestern states. Headquartered in Minneapolis, the company provides energy-related products and services to 3.5 million electricity customers and 2.0 million natural gas customers. Denver-based Vladimir Jones previously handled the account. Yamamoto was awarded a three-year contract, tasked with handling strategic planning, brand positioning, creative, digital engagement and media planning and buying. "Xcel Energy is clearly a market innovator and an energy sector leader that is working to address the challenges of the future," said Kathy Mccluskey, CEO of Yamamoto. "We're proud to be associated with them and their important work, and look forward to doing great things together over the next several years." Xcel Energy spent $6.3 million on measured media in 2014 and $4.6 million the first nine months of 2015, according to Kantar Media. - PadillaCRT
PadillaCRT was selected by The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) to create a digital marketing campaign aimed at student recruitment. UAB is a public research university and medical center that serves approximately 20,000 students and is the nation's third largest public hospital. "UAB is an outstanding university and a powerful economic engine for the city of Birmingham and the state of Alabama," said Lynn Casey, CEO of PadillaCRT. "It's a time of great energy and momentum for UAB, and we're thrilled to put our higher-education expertise to work with the campus and community partners to build even stronger connections with prospective students -- in state and beyond."
