• by Richard Whitman , Columnist, June 25, 2019

Make that two holding companies that won’t have anything to do with the National Rifle Association’s upcoming agency pitch, now that the gun-rights group has bitterly parted ways with Ackerman McQueen, its long-standing agency.

A Publicis Groupe rep confirmed today the holding company would not participate in any pitch for the NRA’s business.

The Publicis Groupe stand on the issue followed a similar declaration by the Interpublic Group. IPG CEO Michael Roth was quoted by Campaign as saying the company’s agencies “just don’t want to work on an engagement like that.”

The quote seemed to imply a political view — and everybody is entitled to one — but there are also very practical reasons for an agency not to want to get involved, if reports about the group’s precarious financial situation are accurate.

Money aside, there are life-and-death questions at stake with respect to gun rights — and it seems pretty apparent that gun law reforms are necessary to reduce the number of deaths in this country each year by gun violence.

I’m pretty sure the NRA doesn’t get that, or doesn’t care.

I’m also pretty sure there are plenty of agencies run by people in this country that hold similar views ,and the group will probably attract some agencies interested in its business. (Court papers revealed that Ackerman McQueen was being paid $40 million annually to service the account.)

But they won’t be affiliated with IPG or Publicis.

WPP declined to comment and an Omnicom official couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.

The NRA didn’t respond to a request for comment, but told Campaign earlier in the week that it would issue an RFP in due course to a select number of like-minded agencies.