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October 6, 2009
KXAN parent acquires RM Media in Austin
LIN TV Corp., owner of KXAN in Austin, acquired Red McCombs Media, an Austin-based online advertising and media services company.
“RM Media advanced LIN’s transformation from a local broadcaster to a digital media company with a national footprint,” said Vincent Sandusky, president and CEO of LIN TV, which is based in Providence, R.I.
The price was $7.9 million in cash and stock, LIN said in a regulatory filing.
Jon Flatt founded RM Media in 2004 and joined with Red McCombs, the San Antonio business owner and entrepreneur, the following year.
The company links advertisers and their target audiences based on demographic, psychographic and consumer behavior data. Its customers include local and national companies.
LIN owns or operates 27 television stations in 17 markets, plus 50 Web sites and other operations.
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August 10, 2009
No changes expected at Razorfish after acquisition
In the wake of digital advertising firm Razorfish’s acquisition by French advertising company Publicis Groupe SA, a Razorfish spokesman said that the company doesn’t expect to see any changes to the company, which has an Austin office.
“We do not anticipate any changes to Razorfish as a result of the acquisition,” said David Deal, a company spokesman wrote in an email to the American-Statesman.
Deal wouldn’t say how many employees work at the Austin office, but “globally we have more than 2,000 people.”
Publicis Groupe announced Sunday that it had agreed to buy Razorfish, previously owned by Microsoft Corp., in a move to boost its share of advertising on the Web, the Associated Press reported.
The deal is valued at $530 million, comprised of cash and 6.5 million Publicis Groupe treasury shares.
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July 20, 2009
Stewart promoted to CEO at GSD&M Idea City
Duff Stewart was named chief executive at GSD&M Idea City. He succeeds cofounder Roy Spence, who will remain chairman and will remain active in new business for the Austin-based agency.
Spence also is promoting his recent book, “Its Not What You Sell, It’s What You Stand For,” which is about purpose-driven companies.
Stewart was named president of the advertising agency in 2007, overseeing day to day operations. He will retain the president title in his new role.
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April 9, 2009
WPP will fold Enfatico, Dell's ad agency, into another firm
Enfatico, a stand-alone advertising and marketing agency created to serve Dell, will be folded into another division of its parent company, according to a report on the Wall Street Journal’s Web site.
The WSJ.com report (subscription required) said WPP, which worked with Dell to create Enfatico in late 2007, will fold the agency into its Young & Rubicam firm. Dell will continue to work with Enfatico and Young & Rubicam, as well as other outside firms, the report said.
The move, reportedly made to reduce costs amid the current recession, brings to a close a novel approach to the advertising industry — one that raised its fair share of praise and criticism.
Hoping to save costs and create a more seamless marketing process, Dell set out to find a partner that would help it create a single agency to handle the bulk of the computer maker’s external marketing and advertising work. Prior to Enfatico, Dell worked with about 800 different agencies.
The project ran into some problems, and the recession didn’t help much, either. Mark Jarvis, Dell’s chief marketing officer and a main architect of the single-agency idea, left the company earlier this year. In February, Enfatico said it would cut 8 percent of its work force.
Enfatico employs about 800 people worldwide. Last year, it leased 70,000 square feet in the Capitol Tower downtown, and said it was interested in hiring about 200 people for the Austin office. The firm has not disclosed local employment figures.
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February 24, 2009
Dell ad agency Enfatico lays off workers
Enfatico, the advertising agency created to service Dell Inc., is laying off 8 percent of its workforce.
Enfatico employs about 1,000 workers globally, and has offices in Austin. Last year, it leased 70,000 square feet in the Capitol Tower, and said it was interested in hiring about 200 people for the local office.
A spokesperson for Enfatico would not say how many Austin workers are affected by the layoffs.
“Today, we announced a proposal to restructure our team and decrease our workforce by approximately 8 percent. Persistent cost pressures require that we reorganize our operations to better align our business with what is happening in the global economy,” a statement released by the company said. “These changes also put us in closer alignment with Dell’s new global structure and reduced marketing spend.”
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February 23, 2009
Austinite Roy Spence's book lands on bestseller list
Roy Spence, cofounder of he GSD&M Idea City advertising agency, learned today that his latest book “It’s Not What you Sell, It’s What You Stand For,” has landed on the Wall Street Journal’s bestseller list.
Wall Street Journal ranked the book number six on its list of best-selling business books.
This isn’t Spence’s first book, he’s written one called “The Amazing Faiths of Texas” and another called “Don’t Mess With Texas:The Story Behind the Legend.”
Spence’s book emphasizes that companies with a purpose beyond profit will survive, and he uses anecdotes from GSD&M’s current and past clients to prove the point, including Southwest Airlines and Wal-Mart Stores.
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T3 conducts layoffs
Austin advertising agency T3 said Monday it will be conducting layoffs and reducing overhead costs to cope with the economic recession.
“Most of our clients are Fortune 100” companies, T3 Chief Executive Officer and Founder Gay Gaddis said in a statement. “They are trying to manage their stock price and productivity, therefore they have cut overhead and marketing budgets. We are a mirror of our clients, and are taking similar steps. The deepest cuts for T3 will be in travel, overhead expenses and staff. The largest hit will be in administrative staff.”
The statement did not detail how many jobs would be lost. T3 has headquarters in Austin but has offices in San Francisco and New York. T3 is known for its interactive advertising, working with clients to develop Web sites or Internet promotions.
Last year, T3 conducted layoffs after losing hotel chain Marriott as a client. Also last year, T3 lost the Dell business after the computer company decided to consolidate its advertising agencies under one roof.
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February 20, 2009
Austin advertising industry hosts annual awards show
Last night was the 2009 ADDY Awards, the equivalent to the Oscars for Austin’s advertising community. Winners go on to the district level and then national.
Held at the Long Center for Performing Arts, attendees sampled cheese platters and examined displays of the winning advertisements. This was a change from where it was held two years ago — a roller derby event held at the Crockett Center on North Lamar.
Best of Show winners included: Action Figure in the Interactive category, EnviroMedia Social Marketing in Broadcast Radio, GSD&M Idea City in Broadcast TV, McGarrah/Jessee for three separate categories: photography, print and brand. (There were many other awards given, and recipients of gold and silver ADDY awards go on to the District.)
To check out about the ADDY awards click here.
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January 15, 2009
Austin's LatinWorks wins Burger King ad account
Austin-based LatinWorks has been named Hispanic agency of record for Burger King, with a new campaign to toll out early this year.
The Austin agency has been racking up big account wins in recent years, but Burger King is its first national restaurant account.
LatinWorks clients include Anheuser-Busch, Domino’s Pizza, Lowe’s and Kimberly-Clark.
Burger King has more than 11,600 restaurants in the United States.
“We were looking to identify an agency partner that understands the power of the Burger King brand, and equally important, how to effectively communication with diverse Hispanic audiences,” said Cindy Syracuse, senior director of cultural markeing for the fast food chain. “We’re excitied by the depth of knowledge we’ve seen from LatinWorks.”
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December 9, 2008
GSD&M Idea City loses bid for Home Depot account
GSD&M Idea City has lost its bid to manage Home Depot’s estimated $600 million advertising account.
It wasn’t immediately clear which agency won. GSD&M was up against three other agencies, including the Richards Group in Dallas, Interpublic’s Hill, Holiday, Connors, Cosmopulos in Boston, and the WPP-owned JWT in New York.
Home Depot was looking for a new agency to handle creative duties. Next, Home Depot will look for a shop to handle its media buying.
Earlier this year, GSD&M gained some new clients including L.L. Bean and Popeyes.
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October 14, 2008
Ad agency T3 conducts layoffs
Advertising agency T3 will be eliminating some jobs as a result of losing Marriott as a client, the agency said this week. T3 lost Dell as a client earlier this year.
“When we are faced like many agencies with a client loss due to the economic downturn, we unfortunately have to reduce staff,” T3 said in a statement. “As reported last week, T3 is ending its five-year relationship with Marriott. The reduction today comes as a result and are across the enterprise affecting all three of our offices.”
T3 would not disclose how many employees would be laid off. The agency has offices in New York and San Francisco, but its headquarters are in Austin.
Some of its other clients include J.C. Penney and John Deere. T3’s strength is in interactive marketing. T3 has won some recent new business, including Taco Bell and ConocoPhillips.
T3 said it had its most successful year of growth in terms of billings in the history of the company. Its fiscal year ended Sept. 30. For 2008, T3 saw its billings grow 40%.
According to its Web site, T3’s total billings are $313 million.
Billings is an advertising industry term for the amount a client’s total budget. It does not reflect what an agency’s profit might be.
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September 26, 2008
Texas Lottery: It's your lucky day
Austin advertising agency LatinWorks and Dallas-based TracyLocke have launched a new campaign for the Texas Lottery Commission.
The campaign, which starts Monday, includes television and radio spots, online and print. LatinWorks was responsible for the “ethnic advertising” component.
According to a press release, “the campaign features small, lucky moments in the day of an average Texan, suggesting that any day could be a lucky day.”
One television ad features a business traveler who recognizes his lucky day when other travelers pass his row of seats on a plane, leaving him three seats to himself.
One of the LatinWorks-produced ads, geared toward the Hispanic and African-American audiences, features a pedestrian standings on a curb as a car drives through a puddle of water, splashing everyone but her.
What do you think? Will these ads sell you on buying a Lotto ticket or scratchoff?
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September 24, 2008
Austin ad agency EnviroMedia lands new client
Austin ad agency EnviroMedia landed a new client.
EnviroMedia will be working with the United States Business Council for Sustainable Development. EnviroMedia won the business after a competitive review. The financial size of this account was not disclosed.
“This new national client combines much of EnviroMedia’s expertise including research, media relations, and creative work,” said Kevin Tuerff, one of EnviroMedia’s co-founders, in a written statement. “We can use those tools to help the business council spread the idea that taking care of the environment makes good economic sense.”
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August 20, 2008
The misunderstood potato
Occasionally I get press releases in my inbox that make me chuckle.
Today’s was about the poor, misunderstood potato. Yes, that’s right, the potato.
You see, the potato has gotten a bad rap since the Atkins diet came on to the scene. And the potato just isn’t going to sit there and take it anymore.
So the potato industry is launching a national campaign to bolster its image, similar to what the milk industry did with its “Got Milk?” campaign.
Check out the Web site for the campaign.
Here’s a snippet of the press release:
U.S. POTATO INDUSTRY LAUNCHES NEW CAMPAIGN ENCOURAGING CONSUMERS TO “PEEL BACK THE TRUTH” ABOUT POTATO NUTRITION
The U.S. Potato Board launched a national print advertising campaign today as part of its continued effort to educate consumers about the nutritional benefits of potatoes.
The new campaign is a continuation of the U.S. Potato Board’s (USPB) consumer nutrition education campaign that began in 2004 when low-carb diets were at their peak. Fad diets come and go but the nutritious potato stands tall.
“Though potatoes are consumed by 79 percent of US households 1.8 times per week in-home, per capita consumption has steadily declined during the past 10 years,” says Tim O’Connor, CEO of the USPB. “We need to remind consumers, especially busy moms who are making 70 percent of in-home meals, that the potatoes they already love are good for them too.”
The ads were created by the Boulder, Colorado-based agency, Sterling-Rice Group, the same agency that developed the successful “When Almonds Are In” campaign for the California Almond Board and “It’s Not Delivery, It’s DiGiorgno” campaign for DiGiorgno.
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June 30, 2008
GSD&M Idea City wins new business
Austin advertising agency GSD&M Idea City has won two new clients through competitive pitches: Atlanta-based Popeye’s, the fast-food chain, and Boston-based Marshall’s the clothing retailer.
GSD&M won catalogue retailer L.L. Bean in May. Earlier in the year, GSD&M also kept current client U.S. Air Force by signing a new 10-year, $372 million contract.
GSD&M has had a tough time in recent years getting new business and has lost some clients, resulting in layoffs toward the end of last year. But the agency appears to be rebounding, gaining new clients and hiring a new top creative director.
Last year, the agency scored two new clients: World Market and John Deere.
Its current client roster includes Southwest Airlines Co. and BMW of North America.
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June 3, 2008
Can you jingle?
Mark Burnett Productions, yeah THE Mark Burnett, the genius behind reality shows such as “Survivor” and “The Apprentice,” is holding casting calls in Austin for a new reality series.
The idea is to recruit teams of one, two or three people who can write product jingles. The show will be called “Jingles” and the prize is $100,000 and the chance to wow a Fortune 500 company with your jingle abilities.
Auditions are tomorrow at from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Cap City Comedy Club on Research Boulevard.
“We are looking for fun, creative, high-energy performances mixed with a competitive spirit,” the press release says.
I’m a little skeptical that “Jingles” will prove to be interesting, but with the muscle of Mark Burnett behind this show, you never know….
Are you planning to audition for this? If so, do you work in the advertising industry in Austin and what has inspired you to audition for this particular show?
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April 21, 2008
LatinWorks buying Dallas agency
Austin-based LatinWorks, an advertising agency that focuses on the Hispanic market, said Monday that it will buy Dallas-based Cultura, another Hispanic advertising agency.
This is the first acquisition for LatinWorks, whose clients include Humana, H-E-B, Budweiser and Hyundai. Cultura’s clients include Shell Oil, Pepsi and Lowe’s.
It is rare for Austin advertising agencies to make acquisitions. Often they are the ones getting acquired.
Purchasing Cultura will allow LatinWorks to expand its roster. Media conglomerate Omnicom owns a minority stake in both Cultura and LatinWorks.
LatinWorks has attracted attention recently for developing advertisements featuring comedian Carlos Mencia that were aired during the Super Bowl this year and in 2007.
“The acquisition of Cultura is more like a perfect marriage — a coming together of two companies that complement each other’s strengths,” said Alejandro Ruelas, right, the co-founder and managing partner of LatinWorks. The agency recently moved from its longtime offices on Congress Avenue to the Capitol Tower at East Ninth.
“We are very excited to become a part of LatinWorks at such a great time in the agency’s history,” said Greg Knipp, a general manager at Cultura.
The Dallas office of Cultura, which employs 28 people, will close down as part of the purchase, and its workers will be relocated to Austin and join LatinWorks, which has about 80 employees.
According to Advertising Age, LatinWorks had $8.3 million in revenue in 2006 compared with Cultura’s $6.2 million.
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April 15, 2008
Steel working for the Austin Zoo
Austin-based Steel Advertising and Interactive has landed a new pro-bono client: the Austin Zoo.
So under-the-radar that many Austinites don’t even know it exists, the Austin Zoo has roots that date back to the 1970s. It serves as a haven for rescued and abandoned animals.
It’s located on Highway 290, between Austin and Dripping Springs.
“We are excited to be working with Steel to help redefine our image and increase awareness in the community,” Austin Zoo official Patti Clark said in a statement.
Kirsten Cutshall (pictured right), principal at Steel, indicated that this was a three-year assignment.
Other current and past Steel clients include: Stratfor, Dell Inc., Advanced Micro Devices, and Time Warner Cable.
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April 10, 2008
Millennials more likely to change jobs, study says
Yet another study has come out about the Millennial generation.
That would be people aged 21 to 29. I fall smack in the middle of this generation so I pay special attention when the latest study comes out, trying to discern whether they missed the mark or got it exactly right.
This latest survey was done by J. Walter Thompson, an advertising agency.
It says that Millennials change their jobs twice as much as older generations. For example, Millennials change jobs every 1.6 years compared to every 4.1 years for the 50-plus Baby Boomer group.
Companies, the press release says, are finding it more difficult to keep these workers around.
“With Millennials, employers would do well to keep two factors in mind: Millennials’ desire for fun and stimulation on the job and their preference for flexible work environments,” said Ann Mack, director of trend-spotting at JWT, in a statement.
What do you think, readers? Are Millennial more likely to say adios to a job they don’t like? Do they demand fun, stimulation and a flexible environment? What are companies doing to keep this workforce from straying?
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April 9, 2008
GSD&M Idea City mentioned in New York Times
In Monday’s New York Times, local advertising agency GSD&M Idea City got a shout-out for its work in the BMW 1-series campaign.
The article describes how BMW is targeting a younger demographic with its Internet-driven campaign.
Stuart Elliott of the NYT writes : “The campaign, now under way, introduces the BMW 1-Series, a compact in coupe and convertible versions. The car, starting at $28,600, is meant to appeal to a younger, somewhat less well-heeled driver than the current BMW model lineup.”
The campaign was a collaboration between GSD&M and New York-based Dotglu.
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April 3, 2008
GSD&M Idea City retains U.S. Air Force business
Austin advertising agency GSD&M Idea City has won a 10-year, $372 million contract with the United States Air Force.
The Air Force has been GSD&M’s client for seven years, spokesman John McGrath said.
The account went into review last June, McGrath said, and GSD&M made its final pitch in September. The agency found out Wednesday that it kept the account.
This is considered a significant win and morale boost for GSD&M because they have suffered a string of financial blows recently which resulted in layoffs late last year. The agency lost its AT&T media and Chili Grill & Bar business last year but has gained new clients such as World Market and John Deere.
“This was a hard-fought battle,” McGrath said, referring to the review to keep Air Force as a client. One of the other agencies fighting for this account was Draft FCB.
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March 31, 2008
GSD&M Idea City launches new campaign; McGarrah/Jessee wins new account
We’ve got two bits of advertising news this afternoon.
The first: GSD&M Idea City has launched a new campaign for the American Legacy Foundation. The EX Re-Learn campaign, done in partnership with the National Alliance for Tobacco Cessation, centers around the idea that smokers have certain triggers.
Either it’s a smoke when you get out of bed, or a cigarette with coffee. So when you stop smoking, you have to “re-learn” how to do these things with a cigarette.
The television spots show ordinary folks not knowing how to do simple things like drink a coffee, or cook an egg. GSD&M spokeswoman Melanie Mahaffey said this campaign is spending $20 million to $25 million on its media and launches this week, with a combination of TV advertising, a campaign Web site, and ads displayed outdoors on things like lunch trucks, ashtrays, voting booths, and bowling alleys.
GSD&M has been working on this campaign since last year.
The second: Austin advertising agency McGarrah/Jessee has a new client.
The Heavenly Mountain Ski Resort in Lake Tahoe has named McGarrah/Jessee for its estimated $2 million U.S. branding efforts. The incumbent agency was San Francisco-based Y&R.
McGarrah/Jessee will be responsible for national and regional TV, radio, print and direct advertising. The agency will also do media planning and buying, and the design group will also help brand its on-mountain attractions.
“McGarrah/Jessee has a reputation for working with brands who have an authentic story to tell but who face formidable competition,” said John Wagnon, the vice president of marketing for Heavenly Mountain Resort in a statement. “That makes them a perfect fit for us.”
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March 20, 2008
Project DaVinci hires Austin general manager
Dell’s new advertising agency, nicknamed Project DaVinci, has hired a general manager for its Austin operations.
According to her Web site, Valerie Hausladen helped Dell with its search for a new lead advertising agency, which resulted in the selection of WPP.
Hausladen previously worked at marketing agency Tocquigny and StorageTek.
WPP is consolidating Dell’s advertising and marketing efforts into one mega-agency with global operations.
In Austin, there will be jobs for more than 200 people at Project DaVinci. Last week, the Statesman reported that DaVinci’s offices will be downtown in the Capitol Tower on East Ninth Street.
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March 14, 2008
New Dell ad agency will have 200 employees downtown
WPP Group PLC, which won a three-year, $4.5 billion Dell Inc. advertising and marketing account late last year, is opening an agency in downtown Austin that will have more than 200 employees, according to job postings. It will be the second largest agency in Austin behind GSD&M’s Idea City.
The new agency will occupy 70,000 square feet in the Capitol Tower at 206 E. Ninth St., according to real estate sources.
WPP’s new agency, temporarily called Da Vinci, will handle Dell advertising marketing and public relations work that was previously farmed out to 869 firms worldwide.
The change will affect some Austin agencies, including T3, which has done work for Dell for 15 years. A spokesperson said the agency had a small number of layoffs as a result of the change.
The job postings characterize the Da Vinci effort as “the biggest startup in the marketing communications field in decades,” with more than 1,000 employees worldwide.
While Dell will be the primary client, once the agency gets up and running, it will be free to go after other accounts as long as they don’t compete with the computer maker.
The new agency in Austin will work with Mark Jarvis, Dell’s new chief marketing officer, and Casey Jones, vice president for global marketing, as well as and Dell’s worldwide marketing and communications teams in Round Rock and elsewhere.
The approach of creating an agency geared toward one large client created some consternation in the advertising industry, but it also sparked a heated and closely watched competition for Dell’s advertising business. WPP eventually beat out Interpublic Group of Cos., the other finalist for the account.
The project to consolidate Dell’s advertising and marketing into one agency account was spearheaded by Jarvis. Dell had set out to create an advertising partner that would “spend 100 percent of their time thinking about our customers, rather than how they will get the next assignment,” according to an entry by Jarvis on www.direct2dell.com, the company’s official blog.
Rather than looking for talent focused on nabbing industry awards for their creativity, Jones said, “we want people who get up and come to work every day at the agency for the same reason we do: to create success for Dell.”
WPP Group has about 100,000 employees who work in 2,000 offices in 106 countries, according to its Web site.
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February 26, 2008
Idea City's new idea citizen...and campaign
A week after GSD&M’s Idea City said it had hired a new top creative officer, the agency announced another new hire: David Hennagin, who will be in charge of the firm’s direct marketing efforts.
Direct marketing means all of the direct mail and e-mail marketing efforts, as well as television ads with the “call now” feature. GSD&M clients that use this include AT&T, the U.S. Air Force and Southwest Airlines.
Hennagin comes from Bernsten-Rein Advertising in Kansas City. He’s also worked at DDB Worldwide and TBWA Chiat/Day.
Hennagin replaces Jim Warren, who left GSD&M to pursue other interests.
GSD&M has recently tried to infuse the agency some some fresh blood, after losing a significant number of employees to layoffs after losing the AT&T media business. Others have left the agency to take other jobs. (GSD&M has one some new business recently, including some new AT&T business.)
In other agency news, GSD&M released its new Air Force campaign this week.
The campaign features a new slogan: Above All, which refers to the essential role of the Air Force in defending the United States.
“We’re in a new security era where technology has expanded the range of threats which brings about new challenges in countering them,” said Colonel Michael Caldwell, deputy director of public affairs in a written statement.
According to a GSD&M press release, here is what the ads will look like:
In one TV spot, titled “Cyberspace,” there is an aerial shot of the Pentagon and a voiceover says “This building will be attacked three million times today. Who is going to protect it?” The scene then shifts to inside Air Force Cyber Command where Air Force officers are defending against computer-based intrusions. The voiceover then says, “It takes Air Force technology to defend America in a changing world.”
In a print piece, alarming news headlines from around the world are displayed along with next-day hypothetical headlines.
The copy reads, “We can’t predict tomorrow’s headlines. We can be ready for them.”
The ad campaign also includes online banner ads and special Web site.
“This campaign will create a distinctive brand positioning for the Air Force that will increase public awareness and attract recruits,” said Duff Stewart, president and COO of GSD&M Idea City in a written statement. “This is a provocative approach that shows that today’s world requires the unique capabilities of the Air Force.”
The campaign will run nationally on the Sci-Fi and The Military Channel cable channels, during NCAA Basketball and NBA finals, and TV shows including 60 Minutes, NCIS, 48 Hours, Shark and Extreme Home Makeover.
Print will run in USA Today, the New York Times, the Washington Post, Time, Newsweek and Popular Science and online executions will run on Newsweek.com, MSNB.com, ABCNews.com, Google.com and Yahoo.com. All ads will run through June with the website staying live throughout 2008.
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February 19, 2008
GSD&M hires top creative officer
GSD&M Idea City has hired an executive creative director, a job the agency has been trying to fill for six months.
Mark Taylor, from Crispin, Porter and Bogusky, will be in charge of GSD&M’s creative team. According to a GSD&M press release, Taylor has won “wide critical acclaim.”
GSD&M has been going through tumultous times as it tries to recover from several account losses, including AT&T media business, which resulted in layoffs at the end of last year.
The agency has also won some new business, such as World Market and John Deere.
Taylor’s position is new, and he essentially is replacing Roy Spence, who has stepped back from some of the day-to-day management of the firm. Spence was considered the de facto top “creative officer,” according to GSD&M spokesman John McGrath.
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January 16, 2008
GSD&M's Idea City wins new AT&T business
GSD&M’s Idea City has won new AT&T business.
The agency announced Wednesday that it has added AT&T 411 and 1-800-YELLOWPAGES to its other AT&T creative responsibilities.
Previously, the agency had worked on AT&T Yellow Pages and YELLOWPAGES.COM.
GSD&M will develop a strategy to that will “build brand awareness and traffic” while keeping to the “Your World, Delivered” tagline.
“Consumers have many choices to find information,” said Wendy Clark, senior vice president of advertising at AT&T, in a written statement. “With AT&T, you get local, relevant and reliable information anytime, anywhere and in whatever way you want it. There’s no better partner to help spread that message than GSD&M Idea City.”
This win comes after losing the media planning and buying account for AT&T in October. In November the agency announced layoffs as a result of this loss.
“We’ve had a long, successful relationship with AT&T,” said Duff Stewart, president and chief operating officer of GSD&M. “We are honored that AT&T selected us to help drive the marketing efforts that will position A&T as the premier choice for local search information.”
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January 11, 2008
GSD&M unveils new Southwest campaign
Austin ad agency GSD&M’s Idea City has unveiled an unusual new campaign for Southwest Airlines that didn’t even mention the airline when it first aired in December.
The “Be More Productive” campaign geared toward business travelers features the fictional character “Nick” as the uber-productive co-worker you love to hate.
GSD&M spokeswoman Melanie Mahaffey said the airline is highlighting its new assigned seating changes, suggesting it will now be easier and faster to board.
Southwest also has a “Business Select” service that allows certain passengers to board first, get free drinks and earn points on their Southwest accounts.
GSD&M will slowly reveal the connection between the “Nick” character and Southwest, not even mentioning the airline, and then only revealing the Southwest logo in the second round of advertisements.
It’s not until Jan. 12, during NFL playoffs, that the full connection between “Nick” and the airline is revealed. There are seven TV spots in all.
Southwest is one of GSD&M’s longest clients. The agency has worked with them since 1971.
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January 4, 2008
GSD&M's Idea City wins new client: HD Radio Alliance
GSD&M’s Idea City’s won a new client: the HD Digital Radio Alliance.
The group of radio broadcasters has hired GSD&M to create 40 radio spots to be aired over the next year promoting the benefits of HD Radio.
This is part of a big push by the San Antonio-based HD Radio Alliance. GSD&M spokesman John McGrath said the alliance wants to promote not only awareness of HD Radio, but help more consumers understand what it is.
The spots will feature the voice of cartoon character Sponge Bob SquarePants, or Tom Kenny. One spot features Kenny as a traditional car radio that calls its owner and leaves messages like a scorned lover. “You know, I could totally pick up those new extra HD stations if I hit the gym, the radio says in desperation. “Is that what you’re into now? Huh? Call me!”
The ads start this month. They will air in 100 markets, including Austin.
HD radio’s digital technology is similar to high-definition television in that it offers higher fidelity sound.
“AM will sound like FM and FM will sound like a CD,” McGrath said.
Using HD radio, more information can be displayed on radio screens, such as information on artists and weather.
There will even be more stations. McGrath said stations like Austin’s KGSR, for instance, can offer a 107.12 and a 102.13 station instead of just 107.1.
In 2006, the alliance aired $20 million worth of ads. In 2007, the alliance aired $30 million worth of ads by October, according to Adweek.
This year, the alliance plans to spend $230 million — that includes donated air time from alliance members, McGrath said.
GSD&M has been struggling lately as it lost a few major clients and needed to layoff at least 100 employees in November. The layoffs were prompted by the loss of the AT&T media account. GSD&M still does creative work for AT&T.
This loss came on top of losing longtime clients Wal-Mart Inc. and Chili’s Grill & Bar. The agency has gained some new clients, too: John Deere and World Market.
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December 24, 2007
GSD&M commercial featured on TBS
A GSD&M commercial will be featured on a TBS show called “Funniest Commercials of the Year.”
A spot created for Kohler called “Jo’s Plumbing” was selected for the hour-long special on Dec. 26 at 9 p.m.
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October 25, 2007
AT&T moves ad business from GSD&M
AT&T Inc., one of GSD&M’s biggest clients, has moved most of its $2.3 billion advertising account to another agency.
The telecommunications company said today it had consolidated its ad business to Mediaedge:cia.
MEC is one of five shops that previously split the AT&T business, according to AdWeek, a trade publication. GSD&M had handled media buying and planning.
AT&T had put its ad business up for review in September, saying that it wanted to save money by consolidating its business with one agency following its merger last year with BellSouth.
“AT&T today announced Mediaedge:cia has been selected as this single-agency solution. AT&T is pleased with the work of all of its agencies to date,” the company said in a statement.
GSD&M officials were not immediately available for comment. In the past year, the agency has lost other key accounts, including Wal-Mart Stores, and recently announced a major reorganization.
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September 26, 2007
GSD&M wins slogan contest (again)
For the second year in a row, advertising agency GSD&M’s Idea City takes the top spot in won a national slogan contest, this time for “DING! You are now free to move about the country!” for Southwest Airlines.
As part of the annual industry conference Advertising Week in New York, GSD&M won the contest, beating out several other well-known slogans. Last year, it won for “Don’t mess with Texas.”
To help capture votes, GSD&M launched a mini-campaign and Web site that urged folks to vote called voteding.com. Co-founder and CEO Roy Spence flew to New York City to accept the award, which comes with a Madison Avenue plaque.
GSD&M is based in Austin and employs over 800 people.
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September 24, 2007
Put Texas in Your Corner
ThinkStreet, an Austin advertising agency, is jumping on the consumer-generated bandwagon. The agency announced Monday a jingle contest for the Texas Department of Transportation’s “Put Texas in Your Corner” campaign for vehicle registration.
They are looking for anything — hip-hop, Spanish, country, rock ‘n’ roll, even a capella — that could remind someone to get their vehicle registered. Applications are due by December 1. Winners will be chosen in four genres and could win a rare Gibson guitar. Also, Gibson is will give away $10,000 worth of music equipment to a high-school that submits a winning campaign jingle for the campaign.
“Put Texas in Your Corner” was launched last year. ThinkStreet said it has decreased the rate of drivers not applying for vehicle registration by 3 percent, or $29 million in additional revenue.
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September 20, 2007
Door Number 3 scores another client
Local advertising agency Door Number 3 has landed a new client: Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa in San Antonio.
This funky Austin agency is trying to transition from doing business-to-business work to consumer-oriented advertising. Founder and president M.P. Mueller said she has reached almost “100 percent” consumer clients, with a strong focus on tourism and sports, including the National Hockey League’s Dallas Stars and the Texas Rangers Baseball team and the Dallas/Ft. Worth area Tourism Council.
The agency has grown to about 17 employees, with offices in a new complex in rapidly gentrifying East 11th Street near Interstate 35.
The advertising campaign for the Hyatt Regency won’t come out until next year, but Door Number 3 said it will be comprised of “traditional and non-traditional” elements, meaning Web and viral marketing tools, as well as old-school marketing tools such as magazine ads and radio spots.
Door Number 3 had been known to try goofy word-of-mouth marketing before, and when it did work for local root beer brewers Maine Root, it tried a faux “free range root beer” protest and mock video it posted on You Tube and MySpace.
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March 13, 2007
Austin ad agency Makos is sold
A news release from Viewpoint Corp.
NEW YORK—Viewpoint Corporation (NASDAQ: VWPT), a leading Internet marketing technology company today announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire MAKOS Advertising L.P., an Austin based full service creative agency that specializes in broadcast and video advertising, branding and graphic design. Clients of MAKOS Advertising, Marketing and Design include Dell, Inc., Rodeo Austin, Sweet Success, NASCAR and others.
Named among Austin’s fastest-growing companies for three years by the Austin Business Journal, MAKOS will enhance Viewpoint’s ability to better serve clients who require cross-platform advertising support including broadcast video. Furthermore, MAKOS provides Viewpoint the opportunity to offer strategic marketing and creative services to their clients, including campaign concepting and execution, broadcast production and in-house digital advertising production services which will greatly enrich the suite of services offered by the Unicast product group.
The MAKOS acquisition also brings more than 25 new marketer direct customers to Viewpoint, significantly accelerating the Company’s expansion into the marketer direct channel. MAKOS will continue to service their current customer base, but will now also offer the additional Unicast full service advertising solutions and Studio 3D solutions.
“We look forward to a bright future with Viewpoint,” said Mark Turner, founder and CEO of MAKOS Advertising, L.P. “This acquisition will combine Viewpoint’s heritage in visualization and online premium rich media marketing with MAKOS’ creative expertise and broadcast video experience. As more marketers look to develop integrated strategies to reach their target audience through multiple mediums, we embrace the opportunity to join a company with a leadership position in the growing Internet marketing technology space.”
“The MAKOS acquisition is a milestone accomplishment, which will help us capture more growth in our business as we truly become a full-service Internet Marketing Technology Company.” said Patrick Vogt, CEO of Viewpoint. “A key part of our strategy is to target local creative agencies that add value to our customers at every step of the interactive advertising supply chain. MAKOS provides us with new functional capabilities that we do not currently have, it accelerates our marketer direct strategy, and it presents us with local brand exposure and local reach. I am glad to have Mark Turner and his experienced team join Viewpoint as we grow and evolve to better serve our customers.”
Viewpoint is a leading Internet marketing technology company, offering Internet marketing and online advertising solutions through the powerful combination of its proprietary visualization technology and a full range of campaign management services including TheStudio, Viewpoint’s creative services group, Unicast, Viewpoint’s online advertising group, and KeySearch, Viewpoint’s search engine marketing consulting practice. Viewpoint’s technology and services are behind the online presence of some of the world’s most esteemed brands, including AOL, GE, Sony, and Toyota. More information on Viewpoint can be found at www.viewpoint.com.
The company has approximately 90 employees principally at its headquarters in New York City and in Los Angeles.
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January 10, 2007
Tocquigny gets domestic violence hotline account
A news release from Tocquigny
Tocquigny announced today that the National Domestic Violence Hotline (NDVH) has selected Tocquigny to create a new brand extension for teens and young adults who experience dating violence. Tocquigny will develop a new name, a brand identity, and will then launch the group’s website early in 2007.
As one of the nation’s top independent interactive marketing agencies, Tocquigny will help NDVH provide aid and counsel to teens and young adults while also striving to lower the incidence of dating violence. Tocquigny will use new media and social marketing to create a source of information and help.
NDVH chose Tocquigny because of their track record of success in marketing to the teen and young adult target audience as well as their interactive marketing expertise. Tocquigny competed against other agencies to win this prestigious engagement. “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to add value to an organization such as this. They are doing great things for our young people. Our entire staff is proud to be a part of their efforts,” said Yvonne Tocquigny, CEO.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline (NDVH) is a project of the Texas Council on Family Violence in Austin. NDVH provides empowerment-based crisis intervention, information and referral to victims of domestic violence and their friends and families. The Hotline serves as the only center in the nation with access to over 4,800 shelters and domestic violence programs across the United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. NDVH operates 24 hours each day, 365 days every year, in over 140 different languages, with a TTY line available for the Deaf, Deaf-Blind and Hard of Hearing. All calls to NDVH are anonymous.
As both an interactive marketing agency and measurement consultancy, Tocquigny is uniquely qualified to provide clients with the latest in innovative marketing. Tocquigny provides completely integrated solutions that utilize every advantage offered by the convergence of media and technology, complemented by its unique ability both to collect and analyze data and to provide insights that increase marketing success. For more, visit www.tocquigny.com.
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November 2, 2006
Austin ad agency expands with San Francisco office
A news release from T3
T3 (The Think Tank), an integrated marketing firm with offices in Austin, Texas, and New York, now adds San Francisco to its office roster.
In 2002, T3 opened its second office in New York to have a presence near the media-buying hub and to forge new relationships with East Coast companies. Today, developing business opportunities with West Coast companies and T3’s initiative to create a virtual national team are driving the agency’s expansion west.
The New York office has been a gateway to engaging new clients and exploring opportunities on the East Coast and now T3’s doing the same on the West Coast.
“It’s a good move strategically,� said Gay Gaddis, T3 president and CEO. “Having a domestic footprint in three places and in three time zones allows us to better serve our clients from anywhere in the country, attract fresh talent and set and accomplish new goals.� From an organizational standpoint, T3 will continue to operate as one unit with Austin as the firm’s headquarters and center for core functions. San Francisco will manage some account service and project management responsibilities, taking on new functions as needed.
Ellie Sanchez, T3 account director and five-year company veteran, has been charged with opening up shop.
“Like Austin and New York, San Francisco is one of the top three cities where creative people want to work and live,� said Sanchez. “The city is unparalleled both in interactive and offline advertising making it a great spot for growing the agency.�
In addition to each city sharing similar creative cultures and hardworking philosophies, T3’s three campuses all date back to the turn-of-the-century. Originally built in 1907, right after the big earthquake, the building home to the San Francisco office was once Del Monte Grain Milling. Located at the base of the famed Telegraph Hill, close to North Beach and the Embarcadero, the 3,600+ square foot office will ultimately house 20-30 employees.
Overall T3 has experienced 20% year over year growth for the past three years and today has gross capital billing at $152 million. The Austin headquarters has doubled in size to accommodate additional staff and expansion plans for a more spacious New York site are underway to grow the now 15-person team to 40.
T3 is one of the fastest growing independently owned agencies in the nation working with clients including Dell Inc., Marriott International, Inc., JCPenney, Nortel Networks, MSN, Universal, John Deere, Ingenix and MTV.
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