Agencies

A few months back, it was mentioned that GM was discontinuing its policy of paying advances for photo shoots, instead opting for a "within 60-75 days" time frame to pay the agency and in turn, the photog.

Interestingly enough, though, the Wall Street Journal reported today that the beleaguered automaker will maintain an ad budget between $40 million and $50 million a month while tied up in bankruptcy court. With that kind of scratch to spend, why eliminate the practice of paying advances to agencies and artists in the first place?

But of course the problem doesn't just lie with GM as agency umbrella company Omnicom soon followed suit by changing its terms and conditions, in turn transferring liability to independent photographers and producers while also nixing advances to reps.

We're not sure if this type of financial fracas is still occurring or more commonplace than we know, but that's where you come in. Feel free to let us know by using the poll below.

Word on the street is is that Agency.com is in the process of being absorbed by TBWA. The Omnicom shops have both undergone a series of layoffs in recent months, presumably for differing reasons. It's all a bit cloudy, but a source familiar with the matter tells us Agency.com creatives were told to prepare their resumes/portfolios for TBWA's review process.

Notes our spy, that "explains why they could care less who they hire for cd positions."

So what does that mean? Apparently two senior level creatives have given notice in recent weeks after a traditional cd was brought on. Oh, the drama. Let's not forget that formed VP ECD Mat Zucker left the shop for Ogilvy One in late April.

We're putting the pieces together; you might call it Agency.com Deathwatch. Let us know if you have details to share. AgencySpy at Mediabistro dot com.

More: "The New Ogilvy, Part Doo"

I've gotten a few emails, seemingly from people at 3D shops, claiming that they're forced to sign agreements with the digital shops they work for stating that the 3D shop can't take credit for the work they've done for the digikids.

This is the same problem that digital shops sometimes have with traditional agencies. So rather than pick a side, I'm posing this question: when it comes to getting credit for work, which is more important — conception or production? There's a poll below but feel free to comment.

More: "Digital Is Traditional, Traditional Is Digital: Razorfish Goes 360"

Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness, a division of Publicis Healthcare Communications that helps clients sell their "wellness" related products has just picked up Durex. Because nothing makes one feel well more than some good sex. Especially when the condom you're using feels like nothing — as Durex's new Avanti Bare line claims.

Here's what SSW blogger extraordinaire Jim Joseph said about the whole thing:

As in condoms, lubes, and intimacy products. Sex....the ultimate in wellness. Just ask us, we'll tell you.

We are launching a brand new condom, called Avanti BARE, which is just hitting retail locations now. It's a new "soft-as-skin" non-latex condom.

You may not realize that Durex is the number one brand around the world. And now we are taking on America!

It's a good time to be in the condom marketing business as people are undoubtedly having more sex to replace the caviar and champagne.

More: "Chew on This, Saatchi"

I asked you all to tell me what you were doing by way of goodness for the universe. If your agency didn't get the message, I guess they weren't paying attention. So, you'll have to get on that. Anyway, here's some nifty little tidbits about what's going on out there.

— Hirshorn Zuckerman Design Group has the CREB Conservancy

— Element 79 has a Green Team, which replaced plastic H2O bottles w/tap filtration system; gave employees stainless steel bottles & reusable grocery bags; recycles; hosts a bike to work challenge oh and has a green team, which is kinda cool.

— Core Industries has Mandela Day, which is an annual celebration of Nelson Mandela's life and a global call to action for people to recognize their individual power to make an imprint and change the world around them. Not exactly green, but recognizing Mandela is still cool.

— The kids at RPA Creatives made this sill video for the Cannes Young Lions Fest about inconvenient poops.

— Here's a great post on how to maximize your greenness by placing recycling bins where influential journalists can see them. And be impressed.

— Tappening is all about how ridiculous it is that we rely so heavily on bottled water. There's facts about both here. If you live in New York, you have pretty much no excuse for buying bottled water and people are judging you, even as you read this.

— This site is all about little tiny ways in which you can lazily be a better participant in the cleaning up of things.

— The UK has a Green Party. It's not like the green party in the video above — but they do some mind blowing stuff. Or, hope to anyway. Woot, Glue London.

And if you're doing something cool, let us know about it on Twitter. Don't e-mail it, that's just annoying. Get your ass on Orgasmatron and make it happen. This is good news and we intend to share it. Follow us here.

More: "Oxy-morons: Hummer Takes Stab at Green Marketing"

Bummer. This is an exerpt from a Starcom Mediavest Group company e-mail.

"It's no secret that we're in a difficult economy. While some of our clients have been more affected than others, they've all felt the impact of the recession. And while we have every reason to believe that MediaVest stands strong and will emerge even stronger from this recession, it's unavoidable that we must take deliberate, intelligent steps to remain responsive to client needs during this period. With this in mind, like this time every year, the Starcom MediaVest Group Management team have reviewed our Summer Days program, and have decided to suspend this privilege for 2009. This extends all SMG brands."

More: "Ogilvy's Recession Plan"

Welcome to DIGO from DIGO Brands on Vimeo.

Is. This. Possible?

More: "Convergence + The Future = Voltron"

Here's a few agency-born tools to help you be a lazy bum on that other day of the year when you're sorta obligated to call mom.

— From Mother (heh) there's mom-sourcing, a service that will call your mom for you. In the clip we saw, a foreign dude seriously confuses this mom with his message.

— Preston Kelly, who didn't award me with a Wii Fit, built a little site/song thingy you can send your mom. It'll kinda serenade her.

— The video above is from Ogilvy and Florence Hendersen, America's favorite mom. They're holding a mom-a-thon to help raise awareness for a condition they invented about how we don't appreciate our mothers.

More: "Happy Father's Day from Olde English Sketch Comedy"

Update 2: Tom Christmann has negotiated to move forward as a freelance creative and will continue to work with/for Cliff Freeman.

— The agency has 15+ employees right now (not 9)
— The agency did not lose Barnes and Noble biz…it was never a roster client. CF&P did a 6-month project for Quamut, a small division of B&N and completed the project, as planned, in 2008. The relationship with Quamut was not expected to go further...and the agency is not pitching B&N business.

— CF&P is actively pitching new business

— The agency's "most profitable client" is still engaging in partnership with CF&P, which has no reason to believe the client is going anywhere

Update: A source tells us the B&N business has been gone for something like 6 months.

In what's been a rough month for New York agency Cliff Freeman, today brings word that ECD Tom Christmann, who came to the agency just more than a year ago, has apparently quit. We're told he resigned Monday, just a week after CEO Clayton Ruebensaall III resigned.

Reports are coming in that the last profitable piece of business the agency is working for may not be there at all indicating that the small (9 people, we're hearing) staff could soon be looking for work elsewhere. That is, unless Barnes & Noble pans out or some other business comes in.

We contacted sources at some of Christmann's old haunts, which include TAXI, BBDO, TBWA/Chiat/Day. He's grown pretty rapidly from an ACD up to the ECD role he manned at Cliff. Says a source, "My guess is he'll land on his feet somewhere, assuming the market allows."

He may already have something in the works, but Christmann didn't respond to an e-mail request for more info. Neither did the agency, by the time this story was published. More to come.

Cliff Freeman has had a spot of bad luck lately, losing Snapple, Bonefish Grill and their relationship with MDC Partners.

More: "Cliff Freeman & Partners CEO Clayton Ruebensaal Up and Quit"

Update: According to Gawker, everyone at the agency was fired? Can anyone confirm?

Update: Initially we wrote that the shop is no longer a business but we're taking that back now OK? We're told Spangler could still do something with it, but for now Jaeger is "winding down his involvement". From what we know, Spangler won't be taking over but that is yet to be seen.

Last week we reported on the dramz going down at thehappycorp. We asked agency founder/honcho Doug Jaeger for details but he didn't really come through (despite our highest hopes for some transparency). But it seems he was foreshadowing a bit further than we could see at the time as news has broken today that he's joined TAXI Inc. He wrote:

"Working with thehappycorp has been an amazing experience, but I am eager to have an opportunity to focus my energy more on creative work and innovation and less on the day-to-day of managing an office and running a company. There are exciting things ahead for me and everyone from thehappycorp. We will be releasing more information early next week and will be happy to keep you updated."

We presume that "less on the day-to-day of managing an office and running a company" refers to the absence (eh hem, recent departure) of co-founder Matt Spangler who was known to be the more business minded of the two.

So, what will happen to thehappycorp, then? According to a source within TAXI, the shop will remain an entity that Jaeger owns. Its future is to be determined, we're told, but know that Jaeger is "winding down his involvement." The agency has always lacked a wholly sustainable business model — in the traditional sense, anyway. It's been project based for as long as anyone can remember; some say that's because Jaeger's personality is better fit for one-offs than long term business agreements. Maybe that's why he set it up that way.

But there's no word as to what will happen to the folks still working at thehappycorp right this very moment. Did they know about the change before today? We'd heard Jaeger was looking around for a new gig, at Chiat, for example.

And still there's no word from Spangler, who seems to have gone off the grid since his parted with his agency. Our spies indicate he may be waiting for a pay-out from Jaeger but that has yet to be seen since the company is apparently ankle deep in debt, say sources. But where is he?

More: "the(un)happycorp"