Hasta La Creative!

Albeit famous for creating a friendly work environment for their employees, Google doesn’t give them a moment to relax.

The company, heavily leaning upon the creativity of its workers, doesn’t like it when their brains stop solving software problems. By sticking software codes and problems to …

LONDON – For the third year running Sports Marketing Surveys is to provide the Rugby Football League and Engage Mutual Assurance with marketing data to evaluate their sponsorships.

LONDON – Queens Park Rangers Football Club has signed a record-breaking £20m deal with kit makers Lotto to add to its new-found wealth.

Hal Riney, the legendary adman who died this week at 75, was a guy who could appreciate a prank—even when it crossed a line. Back in 2001, Brian Grosenbaugh and Marc d’Avignon, two well-meaning, line-crossing employees of Publicis & Hal Riney, decided they wanted to learn a little more about their illustrious, semi-retired leader. So they decided to locate, and then infiltrate, his private island and vacation home in Honduras. Armed with only an 18-by-24-inch photo of Riney and a video camera, they embarked on their quest. Five airplanes and a boat ride later, they found an American expat at a Honduran bar who recognized Hal. With the help of the property’s caretaker, Grosenbaugh and d’Avignon were soon in the house, checking out Hal’s fishing rods, trying on his shirts and playing his guitar. They didn’t run into Riney himself, but ambushed him with their six-minute video at that year’s holiday party. “He was laughing, thank God,” d’Avignon told me at the time, in a piece I did for Adweek. D’Avignon, who now works for Wieden + Kennedy, wrote to me this week and reminded me of the story. “Over the next few days, ad guys and gals will sit on barstools from San Francisco to New York and tell stories about Hal Riney,” he wrote. “There are plenty and they’re all pretty good. I am grateful that I could be a part of one.” RIP, Hal.

—Posted by Tim Nudd

LONDON – Work for Proton Cars, National & Capital, BBC TV East and Granada is among the winners of the Creative East Awards 2008.

(TrendHunter.com) Albeit famous for creating a friendly work environment for their employees, Google doesn’t give them a moment to relax.

The company, heavily leaning upon the creativity of its workers, doesn’t like it when their brains stop solving software problems. By sticking software codes and problems to …

Better baseball teams, it would seem, produce better ads. The Minnesota Twins and the Texas Rangers, both sub-.500 squads last season, grounded out to the pitcher with their 2008 ad salvos. The Toronto Blue Jays, meanwhile, who haven’t been in a World Series since the first Bush presidency but who had a (barely) winning record in the American League East last year, field a (somewhat) more pleasing campaign from the local office of Publicis. The three spots sausaged into the video above purport to show current Jays stars as kids some 20 years ago, when their baseball skills were already evident. That’s all well and good, but this is a Canadian team, and should have been banned from the American League years ago. What’s next, Opening Day in Japan?

—Posted by David Gianatasio

LONDON – GMG Radio has appointed Stuart Taylor to the newly-created role of deputy chief executive, reporting to chief executive John Myers.

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Advertising Agency: Clemenger BBDO, Melbourne, Australia
Executive Creative Director: James McGrath
Creative Directors: Ant Keogh, Grant Rutherford
Art Director: Russel Fox
Copywriter: Ant White
Photographer: Dave Rosendale
Released: March 2008

This week’s free-publicity windfall goes to TreeHouse Foods, a Westchester, Ill.-based company whose products range from salsa to pie fillings. Its name appears on the Obamas’ tax returns, which the Obama campaign made public this week. As a CNN.com item explains, Michelle Obama was on the company’s board for a couple years, and was paid $51,200 in 2006. The company’s Web site says, “TreeHouse believes it is the largest manufacturer of pickles and non-dairy powdered creamer in the United States based on sales volume.” If Barack Obama becomes president and pickles start gracing the table at White House banquets, you’ll know why.

—Posted by Mark Dolliver