Rare Method, an Alberta-based interactive agency has its eyes (and hands) on the West. In the first move of a larger regional strategy, the firm acquired Blain Olsen White Gurr, Salt Lake City's 12-year-old high tech B2B shop (and the agency where I got my start). “This deal is an important step in our plan to increase our presence in the western United States through strategic acquisitions,” explains Rare Method …
Vermont’s Fuse Lit
On March 28th, we published a post called Look A New Fiefdom about Omnicom's foray into sports and entertainment marketing. I podered how Fuse Marketing of Burlington, VT--a top 20 sports marketing agency according to Sports Business Journal--would take the news, given Omnicom's new name for the unit is Fuse Sports & Entertainment Group. Here's the answer: they're preparing for a fierce battle. Bill Carter, a partner …
Bob Barrie’s Agency Gets Off The Ground With United
At the Chicago Sun-Times, Lewis Lazare doesn't usually have breaking news, but today he's got an exclusive story: United Airlines will stun the ad world today when it shifts its advertising account from Fallon/Minneapolis -- its home for a decade -- to a startup boutique agency, Barrie D'Rozario Murphy/Minneapolis. United now will become the new shop's flagship account. Per United Senior Vice President of Marketing …
Continue Reading about Bob Barrie’s Agency Gets Off The Ground With United →
Publicis Wins Soup-To-Nuts On Oral-B
French holding company Publicis will handle all marketing for P&G's Oral-B line of dental care products--everything from advertising to package design and public relations. All said, it's a $65 million win over incumbent Omnicom. P&G calls this consolidation a "new way to work with agencies." According toBrandweek: "Implementing an agency model that moves us from many separate agencies to one team, one leader and one …
Continue Reading about Publicis Wins Soup-To-Nuts On Oral-B →
Goodby Sprints To The Bank
What's it like to win an account that spends $1.2 billion a year on advertising? Mere mortals in the ad biz are ecstatic with a $10 million dollar win. Goodby's latest account score comes in at 120 times that, which is pretty amazing. Ad Age looks at some of the reasons for Goodby's success. "Goodby's sterling reputation and creative talents are second to none and together we will deliver a more integrated and …
Slate Takes On Crispin
Over at Slate, ad critic Seth Stevenson takes a look at Crispin's ads, and their effect as a whole: It's not personal. Every Crispin employee I've ever spoken with has been friendly and likable. And it has nothing to do with how effective or ineffective Cripin's ads are as sales tools. The jury's still out on that. No, my distaste is purely aesthetic. Crispin ads annoy me. And I'm not alone. Every time some new …
DraftFCB Merger Looking Like A Loveless Marriage
Today's Adweek takes a look at all the fallout from the DraftFCB merger: Draft's top managers are grappling with the challenges any new entity faces when combining corporate cultures. One former FCB employee described the mood at FCB's New York flagship as "grim." "Everyone knew from the beginning that Draft would take the lead, but still, it's as if 100 years of FCB heritage is being shredded by Howard …
Continue Reading about DraftFCB Merger Looking Like A Loveless Marriage →
Look, A New Fiefdom!
Fuse Sports & Entertainment Group is Omnicom's latest foray into sports and entertainment marketing, according to The Wall Street Journal (paid sub. req.). "Sports and entertainment are two areas that people are passionate about," Ceo Steve Grubbs says. "Our clients are looking to attach themselves to passion points." Fuse will oversee four Omnicom-owned companies, including Full-Circle Entertainment, a …
