Commentary

It Appears Mullen is Closing Its San Francisco Office

No one is getting back to us on this, but we've heard rumors that Mullen is closing its San Francisco office, which was only recently opened in 2012 to great fanfare and promises of forming a "talent hub" to serve San Francisco-based clients as well as Boston-based clients. Other indicators of closure are the fact that Mullen SF CDO Stephen Goldblatt's LinkedIn profile screams, "Available for freelance opportunities." Or it could simply be the agency wants to concentrate on its LA office rather than support two California outposts.

Duh! An agency that works with the Albuquerque Convention Center has had to apologize for creating a help wanted ad for banquet service workers which used an image found online that depicts a waiter as Reverend Jesse Jackson. The origin of the likely fake image is unknown, and the agency has apologized for using the image, claiming they were focused on the ad's copy and the waiter's attire. The National Council of Negro Women President Cecilia Webb called the image "somewhat racist." Be that as it may, there's probably nothing racist about a black man being a waiter -- even Jesse Jackson -- but leave it to the cause groups to stir things up. And besides, the agency didn't create the image, they just stole it from online. There's nothing wrong with that, right? The ad was removed within an hour of the complaint.

To all you America expatriates working in other countries or to those considering doing so, Ogilvy & Mather Chairman and CEO Miles Young has some advice for you. "Being an expatriate successfully is about listening and curiosity. The one thing I've learnt in the last four or five years is to apply it as vigorously in the States as one would in Asia. It begins to pay back when you start to understand the country. On top of that, you have to participate. I am chairman of the US-Pakistan business council. It takes me a little bit into an aspect of American policy making and the strategic dialogue between the U.S. and Pakistan. As you start to do that, you learn more about the country you are living in. You start to contribute instead of taking. Expats just there for the money or fun or whatever it is -- they are takers. On the whole they don't add anything. You got to give. That's the fundamental lesson."

Costa Mesa-based GearShift Advertising is engaged in a giant high five this week after having won the Yamaha account. The agency partnered with digital shop Ymarketing for the pitch. Of the win, GearShift President Thomas Blinn said: "We are thrilled and humbled to have been chosen as Yamaha’s agency of record. It was a very competitive review process involving a number of highly qualified and talented agencies, so the win is particularly satisfying. We’re looking forward to building engagement and sales for Yamaha Motorcycles, ATVs, and Side-by-Sides, Star Motorcycles, as well as other related products and services.&rdquo

advertisement

advertisement

;
Next story loading loading..