Advertising Roundup: Silver to DDB?; DraftFCB Executive Reorg; WPP Buys Store Firm; Avrett Gains Purina; More ...
BBDO's Silver set to replace DDB's Garfinkel -- BBDO New York executive creative director Eric Silver has resigned and is in advanced negotiations to take the top creative post at DDB in New York, sources said. Lee Garfinkel, the office's chairman and chief creative officer since 2003, could not be reached. [Source: Adweek]
DraftFCB shuffles management -- Interpublic Group's Draftfcb has shuffled its leadership deck, with CCO and president Laurence Boschetto -- a 12-year agency veteran -- succeeding Howard Draft as chief executive officer. Draft takes the new title of executive chairman, while Boschetto also remains the shop's president. Jonathan Harries, worldwide CCO, adds the title of vice chairman. [Source: Adweek]
WPP buys store simulation firm -- In the UK, marcoms giant WPP has snapped up Red Dot Square Solutions, a firm which provides virtual market research to help retailers and manufacturers predict consumer behaviour in-store. Terms were not disclosed. [Source: MR Web]
Rumor: Indian agency struck by thief -- Apparently a major ad agency with its headquarters in Parel, Mumbai has all of a sudden found that an employee, who quit a few months back (and he is neither a suit nor a creative) has been on the take. [Source: Economic Times]
Publicis consolidates healthcare agency -- Publicis unveiled plans to consolidate its separate sales force, sample distribution, and virtual sales divisions under the umbrella banner of Publicis Healthcare Communications Group. COmpany says it's still hiring. [Source: PharmExec]
Misleading ads plague India -- ASCI's Consumer Complaints Council upheld complaints against 47 ads between January and September 2008, up by seven from a year earlier. Of those 47 complaints, 32 had been over misleading claims, compared with just 17 a year earlier. The ads plugged products ranging from beauty creams and shaving blades to water purifiers and automobiles. One made a pitch for a toilet cleaner that ASCI said could be confused for a hair shampoo. [Source: LiveMint]
Avrett takes more Purina business -- Nestlé Purina Pet Care Company, St. Louis, part of Nestlé, expanded its relationship with Avrett Free Ginsberg, New York, part of the Interpublic Group of Companies, by awarding the agency the creative assignment for Tidy Cats cat litter. Spending was estimated at more than $15 million. The assignment had been at Berlin Cameron United, New York, part of the United division of the WPP Group. [Source: NYT]