Ad Age reports on further blurring of "the line" that has long separated ad agencies (above-the-line) from their country cousins in direct and promo shops (below-the-line). In a move it hopes can reverse its slumping new-business fortunes, Publicis Groupe's Leo Burnett Worldwide is taking direct/interactive sibling Arc Worldwide under its corporate umbrella. While Burnett executives are cautious not to label the move …
Wal-Mart’s Spurned Ex
For 32 years, until Julie Roehm walked in the door, Kansas City's Bernstein-Rein took the lead on the Wal-Mart ad account. This fascinating article in The Pitch (a local KC publication) traces the history of the account: Walton had chosen Bernstein-Rein for one reason: a simple ad he'd seen for the now-defunct Milgram Food Stores. It featured "Janie from Milgram's," who did nothing more in the commercial than list …
If You Were Howard Draft, What Would You Do Today?
The Chicago Tribune, which I think rarely publishes interesting stories about the ad world compared to the Sun-Times' inimitable Lewis Lazare, ponders the immediate future of DraftFCB: DraftFCB needs to act quickly to restore its reputation, say public relations experts who specialize in crisis communications. If Draft and his team determine the agency did nothing wrong, they should write a strongly worded letter to …
Continue Reading about If You Were Howard Draft, What Would You Do Today? →
The Wal-Mart Story Continues…
You know, I simply cannot comprehend shit like this-- This must-read article in Friday's New York Times says quite a bit about Julie Roehm and her conduct: While some of the details are in dispute, several people briefed on the matter said that Wal-Mart dismissed Ms. Roehm and a lower-ranking marketing colleague, Sean Womack, after deciding that the pair had a personal relationship that violated the company’s strict …
There’s Something In The Amsterdam Water
Once again, from BusinessWeek (you can tell I read it a lot), a closer look at shops in Amsterdam, which are gathering momentum with global clients: Why Amsterdam? The city's openness and bicycle-to-work lifestyle helps attract talent, as do a vibrant design scene and a cosmopolitan mix of people. "Amsterdam allows us to be in touch with the world without being swallowed up by any particular culture," says Brian …
Continue Reading about There’s Something In The Amsterdam Water →
Anonymous Source Says D/FCB Lion Ad Screwed Roehm
Take it for what it's worth. Speculation is leaking out about Julie Roehm's quick departure from Wal-Mart. From Mediapost: One source says that during the pitch process for the Wal-Mart account, a lot of "gratuitous gifts" changed hands, raising eyebrows inside the company. Wal-Mart has a very strict policy about gratuities. While many executives in the ad industry wouldn't flinch at the worth of the things Roehm may …
Continue Reading about Anonymous Source Says D/FCB Lion Ad Screwed Roehm →
Reach And Frequency
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tz99nt9z_qw Still one of the funniest videos ever made about the ad biz, courtesy of the now out-of-business Elvis & Bonaparte Advertising in Portland. By the way, someone recently registered ReachFrequency.com just to post this video by itself. It's a bit mysterious. …
McCann Creatives Forced To Be “Army Strong”
Not sure if you need to be a subscriber to read the whole thing, but Adweek has an interesting report on the McCann creatives who underwent basic training in order to fully understand life in the US Army so they could work on their new account: By his second day of basic training at Fort Jackson, S.C., Craig Markus had had enough. A day earlier, Markus—lead creative on McCann Worldgroup's U.S. Army account— and 55 of …
Continue Reading about McCann Creatives Forced To Be “Army Strong” →