• by Richard Whitman , Columnist, August 27, 2014

Lending some credence to the fact that "old people" still have a place in the world of advertising agencies, FCB Global Chief Creative Officer Jonathan Harries said: "If you can retire in this business, that's as big an achievement as anything, since very few people make it that far. Age is bad only if it implies something negative. Experience adds an element to creativity that perhaps you don't have when you just come in. You may know how something is done but not how it affects people. Keeping experienced people is critical but difficult. When an older person is talking to a client about something technology based, it's like going in with a punk hairstyle at 50. You may like it and it may suit you but it looks a little weird. Using older people in the right way is the key. Ours is a business where you get better as you get older. You may get more expensive,  which is why they fire people. But unless you allow yourself to get grumpy, antagonistic and malcontent, you don't get worse." Get it, you young whippersnappers? There's something to be said for wisdom.

"I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take this anymore!" Okay -- so that's probably not what Havas President of Performance Marketing Joy Schwartz said when she gave her notice, but everyone has a compelling reason for an exit. After 12 years with the agency, Schwartz is leaving to head up the Chicago office of Minneapolis-based Barrie, D'Rozario DiLorenzo. The opening of the agency's Chicago office follows the opening of a San Francisco office earlier this month. And it seems things are on a roll with the agency as a New York office opening is expected this Fall as well. Of the agency's expansion, CEO/CC) Stuart D'Rozario said: "For seven years we've been a Minneapolis agency. Our next phase is to have a national footprint. We want to be seen as geographically neutral agency."

Oh, well -- who knew? A + B = C. Brand + New CMO = New business review! It's like clockwork. And so it is without surprise that Intel is holding a creative review following its hiring of former Staples VP of Marketing Steven Fund as CMO. Incumbent Venables Bell & Partners is believed to be one of the agencies vying for the account. A small number of as-yet-unknown agencies will also participate. Whether or not other Intel agency relations will be affected by the arrival of Fund is unclear. Oh who are we kidding? Of course they'll be affected. It's only a matter of time. Watch your back, Leo Burnett.

So when is it okay for one agency to handle two car accounts from the same parent company? Well, this week, it's when you're Solve and you just won the $40 million Porsche account. You see, Solve also has the Bentley account and both Bentley and Porsche are part of Volkswagen. With regard to handing the account to Solve, Porsche Manager of Marketing Communications Scott Baker said: "What really impressed us about Solve is their knowledge of enthusiast brands. The fact that we're both part of the VW family is what made it okay and actually, it played to their strengths."

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