At least two Omnicon Group agencies that handle ads for Chrysler have let go dozens of staffers as the automaker cuts back on spending. Troy, Mich-based BBDO Detroit dropped the ax on 75 employees, while an undetermined number were fired from media buyer PhD Detroit. Further, it is likely Organic Detroit, Chrysler's digital agency and also an Omnicom company, will see some layoffs. BBDO isn't saying how many people are involved, but the office will have 675 employees when the process is done, says spokesman Roy Elvove. "The reduction primarily impacts administrative services," he says. "We're not disclosing …

A raft of negative TV ads that Sen. Hillary Clinton was expected to launch against Sen. Barack Obama has apparently been put on hold -- at least until "Super Tuesday." Clinton's win in the New Hampshire primary has changed the dynamics of the race, leading to the move, according to various political strategists and ad consultants. "I would be very wary of being the first to draw blood," says John Lapp, a Democratic adman not currently affiliated with any presidential campaign. "You have such an advantage doing the response, being able to call the other person negative, and then …

American Airlines has rolled out a campaign targeting gay travelers, with new print ads in The Advocate and online that look like vintage, 50s-era illustrated posters and feature two carefree men stepping off a plane together. The airline has long had a presence in the gay market, but has typically reached it via sponsorships. Tagged "Fly forward," the new effort was created by TM Advertising, of Dallas and Washington, D.C.-based gay marketing firm Witeck-Combs Communications. "There's a sameness to travel ads, the same faces and couples in stock photography, we thought we'd like to try something more imaginative," says …

The Louisiana Office of Tourism has unveiled a new ad effort as part of the Bayou State's campaign to rebuild a business battered in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. With the slogan "This is my Louisiana," it features home-state celebrities touting the virtues of a trip down there. Several National Basketball Association stars are included, ahead of the NBA All-Star Game in New Orleans on Feb. 17, in national and regional TV, print and online executions. In a 30-second TV spot, New Orleans Hornets player Chris Paul links up with Louisiana-born hoop legends Willis Reed and Karl Malone, …

Bravo has lined up a big crop of blue-chip sponsors for its newest model completion, inking deals with Alltel Wireless, Mercedes-Benz and Garnier as integrated sponsors of "Make Me a Supermodel." Alltel will sponsor the live voting for the show, along with an online game. And, as Supermodel's exclusive automotive sponsor, Mercedes-Benz, will be in on-air billboards, tagged tune-in spots and series vignettes, while being used as the official vehicle that will ferrying the aspiring fashion models to and from shoots. Garnier will also be an on-air sponsor and the exclusive hair care partner. "Bravo's content reaches an …

Gay-oriented Logo cable net has started production on news show "Sordid Lives: The Series," scripted satirical fare that follows a dysfunctional Texas family. The program is set for a fall premiere and is based on a play and movie by Del Shores, of "Queer as Folk" and "Dharma & Greg" fame. Shores wrote and will direct all 12 half-hour episodes. Much of the cast from the stage and film versions will be back to reprise their roles, including Olivia Newton-John and Beth Grant, who plays a drug-addled matriarch of the clan. Leslie Jordan will also guest star in …