• by Richard Whitman , Columnist, May 26, 2014

Lowe Campbell Ewald staffers will return to work today with a big smiles. The agency, after handling the Navy recruiting account since 2000 and re-winning it in 2009, has been handed an $85 million (annually) short-term contract extension. This is to tide things over until later this year when a mandated agency review will take place. The winner will take over the account in January 2015. An RFP is out and calls for proposals by May 30. No word on who is participating. Of their work with the account and what's on the horizon, Lowe Campbell Ewald CEO Jim Palmer said: "In our 14 years as Navy's partner, we've experienced an incredible digital revolution and leveraged that in our innovative solutions to help Navy reach their target. We look forward to the opportunity to continue our partnership and help Navy reach the highly specialized skill sets needed for the future." Things do look good for LCE, however. The agency has met or exceeded recruitment goals every year it has handled the account. 

Are you a digital agency? Do you know what kind of digital agency you are? Over at Mashable, Todd Wasserman thinks he can help and has put forth three new types of digital agencies. He first cites ThinkModo and Contagious as leaders in the -- let's be honest, far from new -- viral video category of digital agencies. These agencies pride themselves on their ability to make things go viral. He then cites Cinegif, which is leading the charge in the very nice space of animated gif advertising. Yeah, it's a thing. And finally, he cites Big on Mars and Everything which have both jumped on the "Internet of everything" bandwagon and are super-hyped about connecting your refrigerator to the Internet. So...which kind of digital agency are you? And do you even want to pigeonhole yourself like this?

Golden Valley, Minnesota-based Marketing Midwest has rebranded and re-launched as mb25 Media Solutions. Simply, the mb stands for media buying, and less simply, the 25 stands for the fact the agency goes the extra mile for their clients. In other words, they work 25 hours a day. Of the change and the newfound direction, Founder Barb Epstein said: “We haven’t had a sales effort. After 25 years, I think it might be time.’’ Apart from the fact it's a little odd any agency, or any company for that matter, can exist without a new business effort for 25 years, we're just going to offer up a high five and wish the agency well .