Advertising Industry Archive

Omnicom is to lay off 5 percent of its workforce, or about 3,500 of its 70,000 employees worldwide. BBDO is expected to take a large hit as it is Chrysler’s agency of record. The question now is, will those cuts be enough or must Omnicom agencies bleed some more to stay afloat? Omnicom’s position with Chrysler has turned from asset to liability as PHD, the Omnicom media buyer,...

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With the $3 million cost of advertising in the Super Bowl looking like a total waste of money in the midst of the recession, the lineup for the 2009 big game is potentially shaping up to be the dullest on record. The commercials are traditionally in competition to be as interesting as the game, as agencies and clients pull out all the stops with big production numbers, hilarious sketches, and,...

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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...

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WPP has formed an in-house commercial production company in India. WPP agencies in India will use the company for shoots “as far as possible,” according to the Economic Times. The move is potentially controversial because it could complicate the process for clients who want TV production put out to competitive bid. Clients often like to see three competitive bids on any work that...

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Pepsi’s first new ads since it switched its account from BBDO have appeared in New York outdoor spots, according to blogger Scott Lackey (see photos below). It is not clear if the ads are from TBWA/Chiat/Day or Arnell Group, which handled the can redesign. The work features black-and-white photos of young models’ faces interspersed with the new Pepsi cans. The tagline is...

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A former BBDO exec who claims to have launched Chrysler’s PT Cruiser in Canada thinks the car company should be left to die. In a post on his blog, Steve Roper, a former associate creative director at BBDO in charge of Chrysler Canada, suggests that the company “makes cars which no one wants and continues to throw money at them … The two car companies in trouble have...

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Publicis CEO Maurice Levy made this astonishing assertion in a story in the UK’s Daily Telegraph: Across 45,000 staff at agencies from Leo Burnett, Fallon and Saatchi to media buyers ZenithOptimedia and Starcom, he does not forsee job cuts. That’s a bold promise, one that will be extremely difficult for him to keep. (Especially as 70 people at Digitas just got the chop.) BNET...

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Dentsu to enter Russia – Dentsu, Japan’s largest advertising company, will set up a subsidiary in Russia as it aims to expand out of its mature home market. PHD owed the most by Chrysler – Chrysler could be headed to bankruptcy court — a move that could leave Omnicom Group on the hook for $80 million. The estimate came from executives close to the matter who said that...

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George Parker recently suggested that WPP was at risk of screwing up its debt obligations: “Reports out of Europe suggest that WPP could breach its debt covenants in the first half of next year if the ad environment continues to worsen,” he said. The reason, Parker argued, is that the network is overburdened following its $1.9 billion acquisition of TNS and downward pressure on...

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TBWA promotes Streiff – TBWA Worldwide has promoted Denis Streiff, the former international chief financial officer for TBWA, to be its worldwide chief financial officer. Streiff’s previous role covered Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. [Source: Brand Republic] Sands’ Venetian rewards GroupM — Venetian Macau, owned by Las Vegas Sands, has moved its media planning and...

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