Hasta La Creative!

Well, we sent inquiries to a few folks last week about this last week after receiving tips like this on Oct. 17: “Lowe NY Again??  Lowe is opening a ny office and the Milk account guy Sal Taibi is being tapped to run it as CEO.  Maybe old lowe clients going w him.   Ronald wohlman is the head creative guy.  Lowe/Campbell Ewald & hill holiday won Cadillac work awhile ago – Lowe NY to take up residence in ny hill holiday office.”

Now, reports are out confirming this and Sal Taibi is indeed leading the charge, not as CEO but as president of Lowe Campbell Ewald’s New York operation. Taibi most recently served as partner/GM at Deutsch NY but spent 16 years prior to that at Lowe, last serving in a similar role as president. No confirmation yet on Ronald Wohlman, but it doesn’t seem too far-fetched considering that he’s already spent the last nine years at Lowe, most recently serving as CCO on the Unilever, North America business.

We’ve just received the official release announcing the new LCE New York office, and in a statement, Lowe & Partners CEO Michael Wall says, “Lowe Campbell Ewald is an agency with a strong heritage and an integrated full service offering that drives great business results for its clients. This combination has already begun to show results as the agency complements Lowe’s
international network. Being able to front those capabilities out of New York alongside the existing U.S. locations should prove an attractive proposition for both national and international clients. Sal Taibi is a natural choice to lead New York given his experience in the market, the strength of his client relationships and his intimate knowledge of Lowe.”

Lowe Campbell Ewald New York is expected to officially open its doors in January 2014 and will include clients Taibi and crew have previously worked with. Regarding the new office, Jim Palmer, LCE CEO who essentially took over for Bill Ludwig this summer, adds, “Our new presence in New York speaks to the commitment we have to Lowe and the momentum our agencies are building together. Our New York office will bolster our national footprint from coast to coast. With offices in Detroit, Los Angeles, San Antonio and now New York, plus Lowe’s international talent and distribution channels, Lowe Campbell Ewald is poised to better help clients navigate the ever-evolving global media and marketing environment.”

Update: So, as of now, the Wohlman tip isn’t true as we’ve been told that no staffing decisions beyond Sal Taibi heading the office have been finalized yet. We’ll keep you posted. On the note about “Lowe NY Again?,” our sources clarify that Lowe has always had a NYC presence since Sir Frank Lowe led the ship and continued through the partnership with sister agency Deutsch, whose name was ‘Deutsch a Lowe and Partners Company’ since 2009. Now, it’s on to the next chapter.

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Ahh, it was only a few months ago that we reported on the ADT review, which no one seemed to give a shit about anyhow, but hey, we take our jobs seriously. Well, your good ol’ friends at AdAge have a compilation of the successors on the biz, which is basically all-encompassing and includes Arnold Boston landing ADT creative duties, SapientNitro on digital and MediaCom working on media buying/planning efforts. Thus ends the relationship between Boca Raton-based ADT Security Services’ relationship and Doner, a bond that lasted over 14 years.

Here’s a statement if you need from ADT CMO Tony Wells if you need: “Each agency showed a deep understanding of ADT’s business, presented creative insights and had great chemistry with our team members. After a four-month review process, we are confident Arnold, Mediacom and SapientNitro are the right partners to help us grow our business.”

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Following a review of multiple agencies on both the advertising and media side, Nashville-based steakhouse chain Logan’s Roadhouse has appointed SapientNitro and Zimmerman as its new agency partners. The former will handle all general, digital, social and creative efforts along with website design and restaurant merchandising for Logan’s, which operates well over 200 restaurants in 23 states (can’t say we’ve been to one, but we’re down). Ft. Lauderdale-based Zimmerman, meanwhile, will take on media buying/planning.

Regarding his company’s decision, Logan’s CMO Todd Townsend says, “Both SapientNitro and Zimmerman Advertising demonstrated an understanding of the Logan’s Roadhouse guest, our brand and the opportunities in our marketplace. As opportunities for expanding guest relationships and dialogue increases and the need for precise marketing and media targeting continues to grow, we are evolving our marketing mix to build even more dynamic relationships with our guests across all opportunities.”

Logan’s previously worked with Dallas-based Loomis on media efforts while advertising was handled internally. Meanwhile, SapientNitro and Zimmerman’s work for the chain has already begun.

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And now, some quick people news to break things up a bit. It looks like Goodby alums Hunter Hindman and Rick Condos have been ramping up the creative department at their fellow San Francisco-based operation, Argonaut, as of late. Just weeks after welcoming former Deutsch LA EVP/group digital CD David Kim aboard, Argonaut has brought on CP+B alum Chean Wei Law as their newest creative director. Wei Law, aka undoboy, spent the last three-plus years at CP+B, serving as interactive design director and working on notable projects including the nifty outdoor Jell-O Mood Meter while also helping lead design departments for other agency clients including Domino’s, Coke Zero and Old Navy.  Prior to CP+B, Wei Law spent a few years as an art director at both W+K Portland and JWT New York.

Now at Argonaut, the CD will  work directly with head of creative technology and production Robbie Whiting while reporting to Hindman and Condos.

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Eight-year BBDO New York vet Greg Hahn, who’s worked on efforts for accounts including AT&T, FedEx, GE, HBO, has ascended to the big chair and taken on the role of chief creative officer at the agency. We’ve been told the position has been vacant, but as a result, Hahn will be working closer with his old Fallon colleague David Lubars, his director boss who of course serves as chairman/CCO of BBDO North America. In a statement, Lubars sings Hahn’s praises, saying, ““Greg is a brilliant and creative leader.  Also a humble, great soul.  He’s someone who has been helping to lead his clients forward for as long as I have known him/ Greg was behind the award-winning ‘HBO Voyeur’ project which took home a record-setting ten Lions at Cannes.  He’s also pioneered new ideas in mobile and social.  As Chief Creative Officer, Greg will now be able to bring this thinking to a wider array of clients – it’s how we can help them be that much more relevant to their customers and stay ahead of the game.”

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Around seven weeks ago Honda launched Project Drive-In, a charity to raise money to buy drive-in theaters digital projectors as 35mm film distribution comes to an end. Project Drive-In lets you vote on which theaters you’d like to see saved, and has included an online Twitter and Vine auction, in addition to their normal crowdfunding at Indiegogo.

Yesterday, Honda released an emotionally charged video documenting the project’s successes so far. Called “The Reveal,” it documents the tear-filled reactions of drive-in owners when they are told that they’ve been awarded a new digital projector from project drive-in.

But Honda isn’t content to just document past successes. Project Drive-In has awarded new digital projectors to four more theaters: Monetta Drive-In (Monetta, South Carolina), Ocala Drive-In (Ocala, Florida), Starlite Drive-In (Cadet, Missouri), and Stateline Drive-In (Elizabethton, Tennessee). The winning theaters were determined by more than 2.6 million votes at www.projectdrivein.com. These latest additions drive the total number of drive-ins saved to nine, four more than Project Drive-In’s original goal of five. All nine of these theaters will host a celebration that includes a special screening of shameless cash-in sequel Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2.

The Project Drive-In Indiegogo campaign will continue until the end of the year in the hopes of saving more theaters by allowing them to make the leap to digital conversion. You can help save a drive-in near you at the Project Drive-In Indiegogo page, where they’re also selling a 2014 Odyssey Touring Elite.

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Well, it appears that it didn’t take long for David Kim to land a new gig in San Francisco, where the senior creative left his heart 10 months ago to join Deutsch LA as EVP, group digital CD on VW  (SmileDrive work included) before suddenly moving back to the Bay Area earlier this month. Well, now it’s confirmed that Kim (much better headshot provided now to your left) has assumed a creative director role at Argonaut, the San Francisco-based, Project: Worldwide-backed shop that was launched earlier this year by Goodby alums Rick Condos and Hunter Hindman among others.

Perhaps Kim’s most notable pre-Argonaut work was Intel’s “The Chase,” which he helped create along with the Google Fiber launch while at Venables Bell & Partners. In addition, Kim also spent time working on T-Mobile at Publicis Seattle. Along with the creative director’s arrival, we’ve finally received confirmation on tips from two weeks ago that Condos and Hindman’s former GS&P colleague Goodby Silverstein account director, Katie Rafferty, has headed to Argonaut to assume a similar role. From what we’ve been told in recent weeks, Rafferty is joining up with yet another Goodby alum, account director Maura Menapace to build up said department at Argonaut.

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It’s been over two-and-a-half years since we last heard from Corey Mitchell, who “left” his post as EVP/managing director at MRM New York in early 2011. Well, the exec has resurfaced and has now assumed the role of president of Arnold’s New York operations, a post previously held by Lynn Power, who if you recall resigned back in June. Along with the prez post, Mitchell will sit on Arnold Worldwide’s Global Executive Committee and report directly to CEO, Robert LePlae.

ArnoldNYC’s new president spent nearly three years as EVP/MD at MRM, which he joined after working in various roles for a decade at TBWA, first in its Sydney office, then as worldwide managing director on Mars and finally as president of Chiat NY and \Tequila.

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Well, in not-so-breaking news, barely 10 days after renewing its relationship with Kmart and adding the retailer’s fashion business to the fold in the process, Draftfcb Chicago has now nabbed global AOR duties for food/uniform/facility management services company, Aramark. From what the parties involved say, Aramark previously worked with a host of agencies on a project basis and “reviewed a number of firms before deciding to consolidate its business at Draftfcb.”   The new Aramark AOR will handle everything from B2B and brand identity work to 360 advertising efforts.

In a statement, Aramark president/strategic assets & CSO, adds the usual explanation, saying, “We were seeking a partner with the creativity and strategic thinking to complement our business strategy The Draftfcb team displayed that and more, demonstrating the best grasp of our vision for ARAMARK plus the reach of a strong global network.”

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Here’s a late but worthwhile entry for today as we’ve just received the announce that Butler, Shine Stern & Partners has been named general market AOR for U.S. Bank, which is the lead bank of Minneapolis-based U.S. Bancorp. According to the parties involved , Sausalito, CA-based BSSP beat out “several undisclosed agencies” in a national creative review that was managed by Blamer Partnership. Regarding her company’s decision, U.S. Bank CMO Jennifer Powell says in a statement, “Our goal was to find a collaborative, creative agency that would deliver innovative ideas for our brand advertising and digital communications. BSSP emerged as the passionate, strategic, creative company we were seeking. They are an ideal agency partner.”

BSSP takes over for the agency formerly known as Kaplan Thaler Group on ad duties for U.S. Bank, which is reportedly the fifth-largest commercial bank in the US. Along with its newest client, BSSP currently works with the likes of Priceline, MINI, El Pollo Loco and Greyhound.

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