Advertising Roundup: Time Warner Consolidates Media; TBWA Loses Sprint; Sanofi in Review; Ketel One Seeks New Shop; More ...
Time Warner Cable consolidating its media — In-house and regional media accounts at OMD will be combined. The company had been looking to consolidate the account after two-thirds of its media had been placed by regional agencies in markets such as Atlanta and Wilmington, N.C. The other third had been handled in-house. [Source: Ad Age]
TBWA\Chiat\Day loses remaining chunk of Sprint — The work is valued at around $1.5 million. Sprint is reportedly going to cut more of its marketing department int he near future. [Source: AgencySpy]
Sanofi-Aventis puts global account in review — French pharmaceutical firm Sanofi Aventis is understood to have called a global pitch, with the creative business alone worth US$30 million. At least four agencies have been shortlisted in Asia-Pacific. According to sources, incumbent Publicis is vying against Ogilvy HealthWorld, Saatchi & Saatchi and McCann Healthcare. Other agencies in the review have not been disclosed. [Source: Brand Republic]
Diageo-backed vodka brand Ketel One is seeking a new creative agency — The search for a new creative shop follows a wave of changes for both Ketel One, and its new ally, Diageo. Two of the shops competing for the business are on the spirit marketer’s roster: WPP’s Grey and MDC Partners’ Kirshenbaum Bond & Partners. The third agency in the mix is independent Wieden & Kennedy. M&C Saatchi is the incumbent agency and creator of the long-running “Dear Ketel One Drinker” campaign, which for years has shown a few words of boldfaced copy on mostly white space. [Source: Ad Age]
Sorrell invests in Formula 1 — Martin Sorrell, chief executive of ad giant WPP, and Peter Brabeck, chief executive of Nestlé, have taken a stake in the holding company of Formula One, Delta Topco. According to reports, Delta Topco issued 90.7 million new shares in 2008, bringing its total shares to one billion. Sorrell and Brabeck are now believed to have a 0.3% stake in the company. Sorrell’s stake is reported to be worth $6m. Sorrell and Brabeck, non-executive directors of Formula One, are said to have bought their shares for a “nominal price” of $27,000. [Source: MediaWeek UK]
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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