Lewis Lazare: Late last week Harris, the city’s third-largest financial institution, invited five shops to pitch the bank’s ad business. Or more accurately five shops plus one. The plus one, in this instance, is Euro RSCG/Chicago, the corpse that former Leo Burnett creative whiz kid Steffan Postaer is trying to resuscitate. Euro RSCG has joined forces with Arnold Worldwide/ Chicago, the incumbent on the Harris account, to try to hang onto the business.
Both Arnold and Euro RSCG are part of the giant Paris-based Havas agency holding company. Bill Flynn, who heads the Arnold shop locally, refused comment, but he and his shop appear to be leaning heavily on Postaer and his troops to save the Harris Bank account.
Flynn confirmed the Harris account is now his shop’s only piece of business, so if it were to lose in the review, the agency would almost certainly be forced to close its doors.
Even if incumbent Arnold retains the business, which is frequently not the way these reviews pan out, it could very well turn out the Arnold/Chicago outpost gets folded into Euro RSCG/Chicago, giving Postaer and company the Harris business to add to their small portfolio.
Cramer-Krasselt, Ogilvy & Mather/Chicago and Two by Four are also competing for the Harris account. Element 79 is bowing out.
