Advertising Roundup: Omnicom's Debt Picture; Client Quits During Pitch; TBWA Names Infiniti Chief; Danone Taps Y&R; More ...
Omnicom debt picture is mixed -- It has a lot of debt due, but not immediately, and will probably be OK. [Source: WSJ]
TBWA names Infiniti chief -- TBWA has named the CEO of its Manchester office in the U.K. to steer management of its global Infiniti account. Robert Harwood-Matthews takes the title of managing director on the business. [Source: Adweek]
Myer's client quits mid-pitch -- Myer's head of marketing, public relations and events, Paul Bonnici, has resigned without a job to go to, in the midst of a creative account review at the retail giant. Myer is in the midst of a creative account pitch believed to involve M&C Saatchi, Grey and incumbent Badjar Ogilvy. It's uncertain whether the changes in the marketing department will have any affect on the process. [Source: B&T Marketing & Media]
Danone taps Y&R -- Groupe Danone, the dairy products and mineral water company, has appointed Young & Rubicam Brands France as its partner in creating customer relationship management programmes, following a lengthy review process. Creation and execution of the programmes will be carried out by Young and Rubicam Brands France's data and digital arm Wunderman, KBM and its specialist agencies. [Source: Brand Republic]
Discovery in review -- Discovery Networks has placed its $65 million media planning and buying account into review.The incumbent shop is Omnicom's PHD, which will defend, a client rep said. [Source: Adweek]
Draftfcb expands relationship with Del Monte Foods -- Adds creative and media planning duties on 11 pet food brands, the Interpublic Group agency has confirmed. The brands' collective major media spending totaled about $15 million last year and nearly $9 million in the first nine months of 2008, according to Nielsen Monitor-Plus. [Source: Adweek]
Proximity fired from BBC -- Proximity London has been fired from the direct marketing contract for TV Licensing after the wrong statistics for the number of fee evaders caught were used in millions of warning letters to the public. The Sunday Telegraph claimed the BBC has admitted that the wrong statistics were used for almost two years, from January 2006 to November 2008. Today TV Licensing told Brand Republic: "From Jan 06 - Dec 08, 2m letters out of a total of 184m contained errors in detailing the numbers of evaders caught in various localities. There were a further proportion of letters where the mistakes were much smaller but every letter from TV Licensing should be accurate and this is not acceptable." [Source: Brand Republic]
DeVito/Verdi picks up Intelius -- After losing the Sports Authority account to Deutsch at the end of November, the agency has picked up a new account. Intelius is a provider of online information services like people search, background checks, identity theft protection and employment screening. [Source: AgencySpy]
Ogilvy appoints two in China -- Ogilvy has appointed Scott Kronick (pictured) and Chris Reitermann as president of Ogilvy Beijing Group and Ogilvy Shanghai Group respectively. Kronick and Reitermann, while overseeing the daily operations, will retain their respective positions as president of Ogilvy PR China and president of OgilvyOne China. [Source: Brand Republic]