Yamaha Music Europe, a subsidiary of the big Japanese maker of musical instruments and other products has appointed FCB Hamburg as its new ad agency following a competitive pitch.    The agency’s remit includes a multi-faceted advertising campaign for the company’s Audio and Video (AV) product divisions, including Hi-Fi systems and components, speakers, sound bars, home theater systems, headphones and related apps.  The primary objective of the campaign is to position Yamaha’s AV products as having "unrivaled" quality and functionality in the home. “As a part- time drummer myself, I know just how important great quality is in music and …

Coty has selected  R/GA to handle creative marketing for its recently acquired hair care brands Clairol and Wella after a review.  The story was first reported by Adweek.com which received a statement from the company attributed to company svp Rosa Ajjam:   “Appointing R/GA will bring a new level of creativity and excitement to the Wella and Clairol brands...R/GA shares our bold ambitions and we’re confident that they are the right fit for the brands.”  

Columbia, MD-based Marriner Marketing Communications has been selected as the new agency of record for the Maryland Office Of Tourism after a formal review. The agency’s new 5-year contract runs through May 2022 and specifies that it will be responsible for both creative and media placement, the latter having a value of at least $17 million according to the office’s tourism marketing and development plan for its fiscal year 2018. Marriner noted that Spurrier Media Group, with which it frequently partners on projects, will provide support and additional insights for media strategy. “Marriner’s strategic approach outlined a clear road map …

Ferrellgas Partners is appointing DEG as its first AOR underscoring a new industry trend among clients selecting digital agencies as full-service partners. DEG will work on both digital and traditional advertising for the client. This scope encompasses activities such as direct mail, local marketing and more. This relationship has evolved over the last few years. In 2015  the nationwide propane distributor conducted a review for a digital agency and selected DEG. Under that partnership, a few different projects were initiated, including a revamping of Ferrellgas’s website and the development of a brand messaging campaign that was supported by a paid …

Giant health insurer UnitedHealth Group has issued a request for information about what it called “the changing media landscape.”  Agency sources described the RFI as a prelude to a review.  A company spokesperson issued a short statement, declining to comment further on the matter:  “As a part of our normal course of business, UnitedHealth Group issued a request for information (RFI) to several media agencies regarding the changing media landscape, agency capabilities and various models that could support a variety of needs for an organization of our scale." That scale is pretty big. Last year the firm generated nearly $185 …

Michelin, the French tire manufacturing giant has awarded Havas Media its global media business, the companies have confirmed. The selection followed a competitive pitch and the business will shift to Havas Media this month. The company spends and estimated $100 million annually on ads globally and more than $25 million in the U.S. Adweek, which had the news first, reported that incumbent MediaCom participated in the review. Claire Dorland Clauzel, the client’s Executive Vice-President Sustainable Development, Brands , External Relations, Member of the Group Executive Committee, issued a statement: "We are confident that Havas Media will help Michelin further …

Ad Age, relying on “multiple sources familiar with the pitch process,” reports that  McDonald's has selected seven entities to be certified as agencies to work with its regional advertising co-operatives.  The selections are part of a broader initiative that the fast food giant has undertaken to overhaul its regional and local advertising efforts.  The entities include Bernstein-Rein and Fahlgreen, which are working as a team; Moroch and Stern, working as a separate team; Davis Elen, H&L, Doner, Lopez Negrete and Zimmerman.  According to Adage, “The pitch process is still ongoing for the certified agency groups, which must now …

Brinker International has selected O’Keefe Reinhard & Paul (OKRP) to join its roster representing Chili's Grill & Bar following a review. Their first project will launch in early fall 2017 and run through the second quarter of 2018. Earlier this spring, Chili's split from creative AOR Hill Holliday after 10 years. The agency shift coincides with the arrival of new Chili’s EVP/chief marketing & innovation officer Steve Provost. Provost joined Chili’s in March after running Brinker sister brand Maggiano’s Little Italy for the past seven years. Provost  is entering the Chili's marketing department with a fresh perspective and evaluating all …

Non-profit Rise Against Hunger has selected French/West/Vaughan (FWV) as its AOR following a review of 17 agencies. FWV will be responsible for strategic planning, creative design, writing, earned and social media, program activation, event management and partnership development for the organization aimed at ending world hunger by 2030. Campaign components will roll out over the next several months, with a full campaign set to launch in 2018.  

Miller Lite is switching creative responsibilities from 180LA to DDB Chicago. Both agencies are owned by Omnicoim Group.   "This transition will be seamless as we are keeping the business within the Omnicom family. We are moving some of the best creative talent from our previous agencies 180LA and Juniper Park, into a new team at DDB in order to have a best-in-class creative and planning team," said David Kroll, CMO, MillerCoors in a statement to distributors. The brewer will also be "strengthening our relationship with DDB by moving global creative for Miller Genuine Draft to DDB's London-based agency Adam …