Advertising Industry Archive

WPP chief Martin Sorrell told Reuters he expects to see an economic recovery in 2010. Sorrell has a history of economic prognostications in the form of bizarre metaphors, and this one is no exception: “It will be a recovery of shorts. It will be L shaped, maybe an italic L, that is flipping up.” You can read a bit more about Sorrell’s predictive metaphors — saucers,...

More...

Quiznos continues its porn-themed advertising in a joint web promotion with Playboy titled, “2 Girls 1 Sub.” The video (below) comes after the chain’s ambiguously gay “put it in me” ad for its Torpedo sandwich, which BNET noted in March. But the porn references don’t stop there. The “2 Girls 1 Sub” title seems to be a reference to a notorious...

More...

Interpublic’s change to its credit availability if General Motors goes bankrupt is disconcerting, coming in the wake of news that Chrysler has left BBDO on the hook for $58 million. The way IPG paints it, the move is merely precautionary and doesn’t really affect the agency. Looked at another way, however, you can see CEO Michael Roth – and Wall Street — are sketching...

More...

On May 27, Valassis will face off against News America Marketing in Michigan’s Wayne County circuit court. As that trial progresses, the federal court case which covers substantially the same issues is on hold, according to page 21 of this SEC filing. This is probably to the advantage of News America, because the state court is not online and thus it will be more difficult for the media...

More...

Doner CEO Alan Kalter is being subjected to an online witchhunt by his own staff over his failure to disclose the existence of their pension plan; he also announced the “retirement” of his CFO Barry Levine. In dozens of comments on Ad Age and AgencySpy, anonymous posters are urging Doner staff to contact local prosecuters with requests to investigate the agency chief for his...

More...

For decades, agency CEOs have grumbled (albeit quietly) about clients using them as banks rather than strategic partners. By this, they mean that clients expect agencies to bankroll their marketing and media investments, paying them weeks or months later for the privilege. In the gap between the agency buying media and the client paying the bill, the client holds onto its ad budget, earning...

More...

Manchester United’s quest to replace AIG as its main sponsor became more complicated on Saturday as the team clinched the English Premier League title on points following a 0-0 draw against Arsenal F.C. AIG will exit the £56 million deal at the end of 2010. Normally, such a win would make the club more expensive to sponsor, but the economy has dampened the enthusiasm of corporations to...

More...

Globalhue chief Don Coleman has quietly settled a lawsuit with business partners who joined him when his agency acquired hispanic shop Montemayor y Asociados. The late Carlos Montemayor and his wife accused Globalhue of stiffing them on their earnout payment — at least $1 million, according to court documents. Globalhue denied the accusations and said it was the Montemayors who refused to...

More...

Lamar Advertising is suing Detroit over the city’s “sign license fee” that it charges to put up a billboard. Lamar claims the fees are “an unconstitutional tax designed to limit free speech.” What’s at stake in the suit is so de minimus — about $40,000 a year — that it draws attention to how much financial trouble Lamar is in. Its revenues sunk by...

More...

Doner CEO Alan Kalter came thisclose to being the Bernie Madoff of advertising when he confessed that his agency was not in compliance with federal law because it failed to disclose to employees details of their pension plan, Ad Age reported. And the agency laid off about 100 employees recently after it emerged that it allegedly owed former vice chairman/chief creative officer John DeCerchio...

More...