by Richard Whitman on Apr 30, 7:36 PM
Doesn't have to be smart or wearable either. But if you give them a call, be ready to think fast! Meanwhile, The Creative Group has done a little research that should be of interest to more seasoned Adlanders -- counteroffers made to hang on to staffers (especially those with hard-to-find skills) are on the rise. Ever heard of "mailbox money?" Check out John King's piece on how it helps agencies boost their revenue.
by Richard Whitman on Apr 29, 6:57 PM
That's right. Washington, D.C.-based Hickok Cole Architecture has just launched a new creative shop that will offer branding, identity and print work. And they already have a roster of blue chip clients lined up. Meanwhile, in the Midwest, Canadians are giving U.S. ad shops a run for the money. Cossette just swooped up the Chicagoland McDonald's account, eating the lunch (so to speak) of long-time incumbent Leo Burnett. And Saatchi & Saatchi just got booted from the Miller Lite account. Also, Ad Council CEO Peggy Conlon is retiring after a 15-year run at the organization.
by Richard Whitman on Apr 28, 7:21 PM
But the RadiumOne founder doesn't deny hitting her. Chahal was fired by the company's board of directors after he was charged with 47 felonies stemming from a domestic violence incident. Separately, Adland had its highest level of employment last year since 2001. And Burger King names a new global lead agency, WPP's David, and brings back Subservient Chicken a decade after it captured consumers' fancy. Also, Translation Founder Steve Stoute is urging clients to boycott the LA Clippers after the owner's widely reported comment that an ex-mistress shouldn't be "associating with black people." State Farm and others have pulled out.
by Richard Whitman on Apr 27, 4:57 PM
And tax issues aren't the only problems. The two holding companies can't decide which one will be the acquirer. Despite the "merger of equals" facade, the companies have displayed publicly, technically there is no such thing and one company has to acquire the other. And the struggling Infiniti car brand has a new director of marketing. Her first order of business? You guessed it -- agency review time! And Colonial Williamsburg and nearby historical sites are getting a new ad campaign. Also, have a look at some interesting ways that agencies are promoting themselves.
by Richard Whitman on Apr 24, 8:53 PM
They like pros with oodles of experience. Just check out their new hire. And a Huge veteran moves on to pursue the challenges that lay before her. Meanwhile, Ogilvy & Mather's New York Office has promoted company vet Lou Aversano to the post of CEO. He's been with the agency for 20 years and was previously COO O&M New York as well as global account lead on the shop's IBM business.
by Richard Whitman on Apr 23, 6:26 PM
That's a pretty elite group of Adlanders. Meanwhile, Choose Chicago has selected new creative and media AORs. And J.D. Power & Associates has acquired Korrelate, which measures online consumer behavior that it links to offline car sales. And two Adlanders have created a site where you can go to steal ideas-legitimately, as long as you're willing to give credit where it's due and share any glory that subsequent work may receive down the line. Sounds fair to us.
by Richard Whitman on Apr 22, 7:48 PM
You can almost taste the irony. Well -- I can't, but maybe you can if you listen to Mother's recruiter via a video the shop produced to attract potential intern candidates. And an alumni of Doner returns to the fold as CMO. Also, Razorfish taps a WPP veteran to be global media chief, while Grey Berlin, a new office within the global Grey network, has won a couple of prestigious assignments.
by Richard Whitman on Apr 21, 7:04 PM
In fact, an entire WPP agency just received the highest accolade that a UK business can receive. God save the Queen! And another UK shop has also been rewarded, in a more lucrative way. And writing in "Forbes," Greg Satell paints a very bleak picture of the agency business. The agency world, he writes, is a rat race confronted by suppliers, customers, new entrants, competitors and competitive rivalry from within. Bummer. And a Wichita, KS-shop rebrands as a business-to-human agency.
by Richard Whitman on Apr 20, 8:33 PM
A Ypsilanti, MI outdoor advertising firm was just doing its duty (so to speak) in a bid to catch someone who was pooping in the community's public parks. Now that's a PSA! And a Memphis ad shop starts an innovations lab, while Philadelphia-based Red Tettemer O'Connell + Partners establishes a 'beach head' on the West Coast. And Maurice Levy of Publicis Groupe isn't fretting the delays confronting his holding company's proposed merger with Omnicom. At least not publicly.
by Richard Whitman on Apr 17, 6:33 PM
Wait, didn't we say just the opposite in a headline yesterday? Yes we did, and guess what? We were wrong. An IPG rep wrote us a nice but firm response which you can read in today's column. Also, we'll tell you about The Good Report. And Mixpo CEO Jeff Lanctot sounds off on how agencies must change. And there's some new talent at Bonfire Labs.