Adpulp
Advertising News and Know-How
By David Burn
Taxi is one of Canada's premier creative companies. As such, they're not satisfied with merely making ads. It's 2008 after all, and "the agency" as we know it is rapidly morphing into something new—part media arts studio, part brand incubator. Which is why I'm grateful to Ed Cotton at Influx Insights for finding this article on Taxi Cafe in Vancouver, BC. Cotton sees the agency's move into retail as a way for ad …
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Apropos of nothing, I'm just going to make a prediction here. In 2009, WPP, IPG, and Omnicom will each merge 2 of their major agency groups to save costs. For example, you may see Y&R merge with O&M, BBDO and Chiat/Day merge, and McCann merge with Lowe or Deutsch or Campbell-Ewald or some such. What do you think will happen next year? …
By David Burn
Marc Brownstein of Philadelphia's Brownstein Group thinks this is a good time to buy an agency. That's right. One of the smartest strategies over the next 18 months will be to grow through acquisition. Seek out an agency that complements the strengths your shop has, both in skill sets, client roster, specialty and culture. Some shops are hurting now, so they may be inclined to want to sell; others may be doing well, …
By David Burn
The man surfs and wears flip flops and a long beard to meetings with the world's most loaded marketers. And he wins them over, time and again. According to The Wall Street Journal, the Pepsi account is leaving BBDO, where it's been for 40 plus years. The account will be placed in the hands of Lee Clow, chief creative officer TBWA Worldwide, who is known for the successful Apple ads, including the Mac vs. PC …
By David Burn
We know that some of the brightest bulbs in Adlandia like to invent their own products and bring them to market, when they're not busy polishing their reels. It's a healthy exercise and all that... According to Ad Age, London's Bartle Bogle has a unit called Zag dedicated to the practice. The idea is to identify "brand lag" -- areas where consumers are active but there are few brands. For instance, only 12% of people …
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I've written nearly 115 columns for Talent Zoo since 2002, but no column has received as many comments as The War On Talent has. (Scroll all the way down the column and you can read them). The frustration among job seekers, and even Creative Directors seeking talent, is palpable. One person wrote to me about an agency giving her a basic skills test: The test was an hilarious math quiz clearly geared for ten year …
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By David Burn
McGarry Bowen, one of the largest independent ad boutiques in New York, has given in to its Japanese suitor, according to a story in today's Wall Street Journal. In buying McGarry Bowen, Dentsu will be acquiring an agency with a solid reputation and close ties to big marketers. Its clients include Hewlett-Packard and J.P. Morgan Chase. McGarry Bowen had about $57 million in revenue last year. The deal also comes …
By David Burn
Agency.com is pissed. The Omnicom digital shop contends iCrossing raided its staff and its client roster. A Dallas court will now decide the affair. Agency.com is asking for $19.5 million in damages. Here's how the The Wall Street Journal frames the case: Madison Avenue agencies typically refrain airing such dirty laundry. The suit exemplifies the concern in the ad business about a lack of digital-minded talent. The …
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