• by Richard Whitman , Columnist, February 25, 2014

Here's a funny one, if you don’t happen to live in one particular New York neighborhood. To win back its strip club client, Bronx-based Sin City Cabernet, Scenester Marketing projected a large ad, without its former client's knowledge, onto the wall of Starbucks at 4765 Broadway and Dyckman Street. The agency did this several nights over the past few months. To say the least, area residents are angered. Of the stunt, Scenester Marketing account executive JuanElias Lopera said, "Sin City didn't know. We took care to do it late at night, but obviously we offended people, and that wasn't our intent." Lopera says the agency will stop projecting the ad. Yeah, and walk away with its tail between its legs.

Things are not going well for St. Louis-based ad agency Schupp Co. Late last year, the agency lost its MillerCoors account, and as a result has had to lay off over a dozen employees. The agency is also looking to lease or sell its downtown office space. Last summer the agency had 40 employees. It now has less than 15. MillerCoors had been a client of the agency for 13 years.

Providence-based agency Nail is up to some hiring shenanigans. To promote a few open positions, the agency created three ads, each of which promote positions at slightly different versions of Droga5 (Droga500), Mother (mmmmother) and Goodby, Silverstein and Partners (Goodby Silverstien). Each of the ads point to custom URLs which ultimately lead to the Nail Web site. But a very humorous page on the Web site. The landing page URL is nail.cc/don’t-sue-us. There is a link to make contact, but also a link which reads, "Or are you an angry attorney?" Clicking that link leads to a paragraph of hilarity which reads, "Oh my God I am so sorry. I was against this from the beginning. This was totally Jeremy Crisp’s idea. I was like, 'Dude, that’s way out of line!' But he was like, 'Aw screw it, who cares!' So I’m not saying you should sue anybody, but if you really feel like you have to, Jeremy is probably the guy to send the subpoena to. He works at Nail Communications, 63 Eddy Street, Providence, RI 02903." You can check out the ads here.

Grey San Francisco is working hard at refreshing its presence in the market. Last year, the agency brought in Milan Martin as president. This week, the agency has announced the hire of former Arnold Worldwide Managing Director Curt Detweiler as Chief Creative Officer. Overall headcount is up from 50 to 75 since Martin joined the agency. Can Grey succeed? Martin thinks so and, of Detweiler, said, “We wanted to make sure we have people who are aligned with the vision of this agency and Curt is very much that, as a business guy as well as a creative guy.”

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