DraftFCB/Chicago has been named consumer promotions and shopper marketing agency of record for Del Monte Foods' entire portfolio of pet products brands, including Meow Mix, Kibbles 'n Bits, 9 Lives, Milk-Bone and Pup-Peroni. In addition, Catapult Action Biased Marketing will be the consumer promotions and shopper marketing agency of record Del Monte Foods' entire portfolio of consumer products brands, including Del Monte College Inn, Contadina and S&W. "These new agencies will serve as strategic thought partners -- working with Del Monte Foods brand teams to develop and execute programs that resonate with consumers and customers," said Bill Pearce, senior vice-president and chief marketing officer for Del Monte Foods.
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Mark Modesto, most recently president of DraftFCB/Chicago, has been promoted to the agency's corporate leadership team in the newly created role of president of DraftFCB North America, effective Nov. 1. Modesto will report to Laurence Boschetto, CEO and president of DraftFCB. In his new role, Modesto will work closely with DraftFCB's local management teams in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, Orange County, Toronto and Montreal to build closer ties and synergies between the offices. Modesto will remain based in Chicago, but will work out of all locations. "Mark has done an outstanding job leading our Chicago office, and I'm sure (he) will be accomplishing the same as we create one DraftFCB across North America," said Boschetto.
Simon Calvert has been named global chief planning officer at DraftFCB, effective immediately. Based in London, Calvert will continue to play an integral role on the agency's European and United Kingdom leadership teams. As part of his new global responsibilities, Calvert and other planning leaders within the DraftFCB network will jointly set best practices and standards for strategic planning. In the process Calvert is building a core planning community across multiple offices. Calvert also will work closely with other strategic leads from digital, media, retail and analytics units to more sharply define DraftFCB's multi-disciplinary strategic assets. Calvert will report to Michael Fassnacht, DraftFCB global chief strategy officer. Calvert joined DraftFCB in 2006, as head of strategy for London.
DraftFCB has acquired its former affiliate in Sweden -- DraftFCB Sweden. The newly-acquired agency will serve as a Nordic hub, by covering Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. CEO Peter Hawi and Creative Director Anders Dalenius will run the Swedish shop. "It is very important for us to have an agency carrying our name so that we can tap our local talent and expertise in the region and connect them with our global clients," said Laurence Boschetto, DraftFCB's CEO and president. DraftFCB Sweden currently has a staff of 20.
Wherever there exists a self-promotion opportunity on a national scale, it's a safe bet that self-promoter par excellence Donald Trump is lurking nearby. And so it is with the newest installment of the Oreo Double Stuf Racing League saga/ad campaign from DraftFCB.The campaign launched in early 2008.
In this latest twist in the story, which comes as the Golden Double Stuf Oreo is being rolled out nationally, the very golden-haired Trump fearlessly challenges pro football stars and lick-off champs Peyton and Eli Manning to a lick-off race. Trump hopes a victory will net him the Double Stuf Racing League. Actor and comedian Darrell Hammond, who does a fair impersonation of Trump, has been recruited to serve as Trump's team partner.
In a new TV spot breaking today, Trump is all egocentric bluff and bluster. The Manning brothers stand up reasonably well to what Trump is dishing out. But this debut spot appears to be merely a set-up for the lick-off to come between the two teams, slated for January of 2010. Anything, we suppose, to extend the drama, such as it is.
For all who may have forgotten, in an official lick-off, each person must twist open an Oreo, lick off the creme, show the cookie to the opponent, dunk the cookie in a glass of milk and eat it and then finish the glass of milk. The first person or team to complete all the tasks wins.
The show of shows -- the advertising event of Chicago's fall season -- is taking firmer shape.
On Tuesday, the Chicago Creative Club Awards show organizers -- Matt Brennock, Liz Ross and Katie Juras -- confirmed the headliner band that will perform at the Sept. 10 extravaganza at the Riviera Theater in Uptown. It is Of Montreal, a Georgia-based band with, interestingly enough, some Canadian influences. The band's Wikipedia entry characterizes Of Montreal as a baroque rock group, which sounds intriguing enough to us, who don't have a great familiarity with the vast number of rock bands out there performing.
But Brennock told us there's also a Cirque du Soleil air about Of Montreal and their performance style. Now Cirque we know something about, and that certainly sounds appealing to us. The band's performance at the Sept. 10 event will come about 30 minutes after the awards presentations are concluded, Brennock said. And he hopes having a band with some genuine cred in the music industry and a large following will be yet one more incentive for hundreds, if not thousands, of people who have avoided previous CCC events to check out this year's event.
Brennock said he is pleased about how well -- given all the obstacles they have had to confront -- things have gone so far with the show planning. Of course, they could always go better, he conceded. Toward that end, Brennock was set to meet with DraftFCB leader Howard Draft this morning to ensure Draft is on board and committed to making the Sept. 10 show as great as humanly possible.
Despite the willingness of so many people to lend a helping hand (especially Tom Duff of Optimus), Brennock said there still have been troubling pockets of resistance to what the show organizers are trying to achieve. Somehow we're not surprised. Too many people in the local ad community, we've sadly concluded, are fearful of change, which can be threatening. And given the upheaval the ad industry has faced -- especially in Chicago -- fear itself is another factor that makes it difficult for some to embrace the new and the unknown.
But we continue to applaud Brennock, Ross and Juras for trying to make a difference, shake things up a bit and do something for the entire, extended advertising community. If there is indeed an extended ad community worth saving and honoring in Chicago, all that are part of that community would do well to circle Sept. 10 on their calendars now, purchase their $50 tickets at www.chicagoadfed.org/CCCAwards/ccc.html, and be there at the Riviera. It may very well prove a night and a "No Show" to remember. In the nicest, most inclusive way.
Jason Mitton has been promoted to the post of director of digital production at DraftFCB/Chicago. He was previously the manager of the agency's interactive development team. In his new role, MItton will be responsible for unifying DraftFCB's interactive production and development teams. "Strengthening the agency's digital practice continues to be a key point of emphasis for us we look to deliver inventive and groundbreaking digital executions for our client," said Rob Sherlock, DraftFCB/Chicago's chief creative officer. Mitton joined Foote Cone and Belding/Chicago in 2001 as interactive solutions manager, a position he continued to hold after the agency's merger with Draft in 2006.
Okay. We'll come clean. We were hardly fixated on what was happening in the south of France at the horrendously over-hyped, overrated event known as the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival. But from a Chicago perspective (and granted there wasn't much of a Chicago perspective to worry about at the fest this year), there was one interesting development. The Escape Pod/Chicago proved it could compete with some of the biggest (but not necessarily the best) acts in Chicago, including Leo Burnett and DDB. Yes, Vinny Warren and the folk at the Escape Pod wowed 'em at Cannes with two of the commercials the agency created last summer for OfficeMax's delightful back-to-school ad campaign.
You remember the work. It was all about a guy going around New York City trying to pay for expensive jewelry and vehicles with nothing but pennies. "Used Car" and "Jewelry Store" from that campaign were both shortlisted in the Film category at Cannes -- a phenomenal achievement given that the Escape Pod had never before entered work at Cannes.
Meanwhile, among the city's biggies, Burnett managed only two commercials on the short list -- "Brother of the Bride" for Hallmark Cards and "Zach Johnson" for Tampax, while DDB had only one piece of work shortlisted, the "No Fry Left Behind" for McDonald's. DraftFCB also had one spot shortlisted -- "Crib" for client Qwest.
On Monday trade publication Adweek unveiled its annual report cards that give a letter grade to most major American ad agencies for their overall performance during 2008. And the news was not at all good for at least three shops with major presences in Chicago.
The DDB network, which includes its flagship Chicago office, could do no better than a C+, while Leo Burnett, whose flagship office also is in Chicago, managed only a C. And with a C-, DraftFCB, which last week won the Miller Lite account, scored the lowest grade of the three major shops in Chicago. Cramer-Krasselt had the best -- though hardly stellar -- showing of any of the Chicago-centric agencies with a B-.
Still, the report cards (which included no "A" grade for any agency) are further evidence -- if any more were needed -- that all is not well in the ad industry. The grades they handed out should also indicate to Adweek editors that they might be well advised to focus more of their reporting efforts on what is going on inside ad agencies that has led to this decidedly lackluster set of marks.
Too much of the online editorial in both Adweek and its principal competitor Advertising Age nowadays is devoted to issues peripheral to the real business of advertising, which presumably is what both magazines were created to cover.
DraftFCB/Chicago has been named agency of record for Sharpie, EXPO and Prismacolor brands of writing instruments and art supplies, which are all part of the Newell Rubbermaid Office Products unit. Sharpie is the familiar maker of permanent markers and pens. EXPO is a brand of dry erase markers and accessories. Prismacolor produces art supplies.
DraftFCB's initial campaign will include print, TV, retail and digital work and is expected to launch this spring. A television campaign will follow in the summer. Speaking of the decision to go with DraftFCB, Sally Grimes, global vice president of marketing for parent Newell Rubbermaid, said the agency "delivered a powerful creative idea with an eye for tight integration."
