Agencies

Back when Cole & Weber was on a hot streak, I interviewed at an agency whose CEO said, "We want to be the next Cole & Weber." Of course, he had no idea what that meant or what it would take to make that a reality. So you can bet that when Warren Berger's book Hoopla: A Book about Crispin, Porter & Bogusky hits the streets in September, folks running mediocre agencies across the land will rush to get a copy and tell …

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This is how I'm greeted by the sheep hater's copy: You're missing something. No ugly for you. You need Flash to get in on all the ugliness at myuglyroom.com. Don't roll your eyes at us, after the two minutes of extra effort you can enter to win $100 weekly prizes or a shot at the $10,000 grand prize at myuglyroom.com. Click here to download the most updated version of Flash. The devil is in the details. Most …

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Screen Magazine, in a profile of the nation's largest independent agency, reveals one of the shop's secrets for success. The Richards Group has a unique method of organizing its different departments – it doesn’t. “Everybody’s thrown in together,” says David Hall, agency principal, noting that employees are not able to segregate themselves by job title. “That helps because we all overhear what everyone else does …

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Over at Talent Zoo, they’re working to upgrade their web content. And that’s where you come in. Talent Zoo wants to hear your stories and odd bits of advertising, marketing and PR life. Or you could be a featured writer on their site if you’ve got a unique perspective on the business. Have you worked with a celebrity who was really cool or really difficult to work with? Did you meet a co-worker and fall in love? Got …

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The agency formerly known as J. Walter Thompson is using TV commercials from its reel not to advertise its clients' wares, but to make itself appear relevant in the new media sphere. Here's the New York Times take on the ploy: JWT has purchased all the ad space on The Huffington Post home page for one week, starting tomorrow. The Web site will showcase nine of JWT's best television commercials with links, so that …

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EuroRSCG/New York makes the small world nature of the agency business loud and clear in their new recruitment advertising. While there are 10,000 or so agencies in America today, the smallishness refers to only about 200 shops (and I'm being liberal with that figure). If you work in one of the other 9800 shops, and want to gain admission to one of the 200 small world shops, you better know someone. More to the …

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While some mainline agency folk look down their rigid noses at their below-the-line relatives, there are others actively embracing below-the-line tactics and making them their own. Arnold is one. From PROMO Magazine: Following months of evaluating several hundred applicants, PROMO announced its PROMO 100 annual agency ranking yesterday. Among the highlights: Arnold Brand Promotions was named 2006 Agency of the Year. …

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Howard Draft is stoked. According to Ad Age, Interpublic has finalized plans to merge two of its largest units, the marketing-services agency Draft and traditional ad agency FCB. The combined unit will be called the Draft FCB Group, with Howard Draft as the new unit's chairman-CEO. It marks the end of a 133-year journey for FCB as a stand-alone brand and is another sign of the ascension of a long-marginalized part …

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