• February 14, 2001

(Reuters) - DoubleClick Inc. said on Wednesday it has awarded its ad account to Grey Worldwide, a unit of Grey Global Group Inc.

A DoubleClick spokeswoman declined to provide more details, but AdWeek Online reported that the account is worth $20 million to $25 million.

AdWeek said Omnicom unit BBDO Worldwide and its @tmosphere interactive business had been competing for the DoubleClick account, but pulled out of the review last week, citing other "new-business opportunities as well as handling existing client needs." J. Walter Thompson also was vying for the account, AdWeek said.

Online ad companies have generally been facing tough times as dot-com advertising has dried up and the ad growth rates have slowed, but DoubleClick is generally seen as a survivor in the sector.