Advertising Roundup: Abbott Lists Agencies; Goldsmith Back in Business; Fallon Wins Boston Mkt; Virgin Shakes up Roster; More ...
Abbott Laboratories shortlists agencies in Asia — The US pharmaceutical company is reviewing its $20 million regional media duties. OMG’s PHD and Interpublic Group’s Initiative are reported to be involved in all the markets, while ZenithOptimedia and MEC are involved in some markets. [Source: Brand Republic]
Ex-Y&R Exec Goldsmith Resurfaces — More than two decades after co-founding his own advertising agency, Goldsmith/Jeffrey, former Young & Rubicam CCO Gary Goldsmith is returning to his entrepreneurial roots. Last month, the 53-year-old art director launched yourchitect.com, a Web site that “brings everything you need to imagine, plan, build and decorate your home together in one place.” [Source: Adweek]
Fallon Worldwide takes on Boston Market — The Minneapolis-based advertising agency said Thursday that Boston Market has assigned its advertising account to Fallon. [Source: Minn. Business Journal]
Virgin Mobile USA shakes up roster — Client Bob Stohrer seeks a broader mix of agency partners. The marketer will continue to work with its current roster agency, Durham, N.C.-based independent McKinney, for creative, but it has also tapped two new creative shops: Publicis Groupe-backed Bartle Bogle Hegarty and independent Toy, New York. On the media side, the marketer has shifted buying and planning duties to Havas’ MPG; that work was previously handled by Publicis’ Starcom and McKinney, respectively. [Source: Ad Age]
Single complaint in the UK pulls Ladbrokes ad — Global betting and gaming provider Ladbrokes has fallen foul of the UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) over two recent comical television adverts promoting its online casino at LadbrokesCasino.com. The ASA revealed that one viewer took offence at the two ads devised by advertising agency M&C Saatchi and complained. The first advert showed a young man taking increasingly extreme risks while diving with sharks while the other portrayed a skydiver jumping out of an airplane using only an empty crisp packet as a parachute. The commercial featuring the diver ends with the narrator stating ‘If only he’d seen LadbrokesCasino.com it would have quenched his thrill buds’ while the second concludes with ‘I tell you man, if only he’d seen LadbrokesCasino.com, his thrill buds would have been quenched’. The unnamed complainant stated that the adverts portrayed gambling in a context of toughness and linked it to risk taking and reckless behaviour. [Source: iGamingBusiness.com]
Campbell appoints new ad chief — Maureen Linder held a variety of marketing jobs since joining Campbell Soup Co. in 1997, has been named the company’s vice president of global advertising and design. She replaces Paul Alexander, who left the company in October, and will oversee all of Campbell’s advertising. [Source: Advertising Age]
Jim Edwards, a former managing editor of Adweek, has covered drug marketing at Brandweek for four years, and is a former Knight-Bagehot fellow at Columbia University's business and journalism schools. Follow him on Twitter or send him an email.
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