Agencies

Michael Learmonth of AdAge leads a discussion on the efficacy of pre-roll ads. And here we thought they were dead or dying.

Michael Mathieu, CEO of video ad network YuMe; Rob Norman, CEO of WPP's GroupM; Robert Davis of Ogilvy; and John McCarus of Digitas join in.

Via AdPulp

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The folks at Citizens Financial Group announced that they've shortlisted five agencies out of 15 that were participating in the review and as we guessed based on the tips we've been receiving, Arnold is nowhere to be found.

While the agency was supposedly planning to defend the Citizens ad business--which it handled since 2001--only three weeks ago, the client's press release states that Arnold withdrew last week. If our calculations are correct, Citizens marks the fourth large client Arnold's lost in the last year, joining Choice Hotels, GlaxoSmithKline and Radio Shack.

In a statement regarding Citizens, though, Arnold Worldwide CEO Fran Kelly says:

"Citizens has been an important client at our agency for almost a decade. We are extremely proud of the work we have created together and the results we have been able to generate. We wish them nothing but the best. When the review was announced, it became clear to us that there were other options for Arnold. So the time seemed right to focus on our future, and allow Citizens to focus on finding the right new partner. We look forward to servicing them well through the transition period."

The final five instead that have been notified by CFG are Draftfcb, Grey, Mullen, Ogilvy and Y&R. The review is expected to be completed in December.

More: "You Be The Judge: Arnold's Progressive Spots"

We received an email or two last week letting us know that Cliff Freeman & Partners' fifth floor office on West 20th Street in NYC was vacated. Now, AdAge confirms what we believed to be true, that after 22 years, the man behind Wendy's "Where's the beef?" and later Little Caesars' "Pizza Pizza" is shutting down his agency.

2009 wasn't too kind to CF&P, which reacquired MDC's 20% stake earlier this year but lost clients like Snapple and Bonefish Grill as well as CEO Clayton Ruebensaall III after just five months. In a statement to AdAge, Cliff Freeman's most notable current client, Baskin-Robbins, said it is "aware that Cliff Freeman & Partners has closed its doors. We have a search under way for a new agency partner."

More: "We Hear: ECD Tom Christmann Left Cliff Freeman"

With crowdsourcing all the rage these days (hey, even Levar Burton's hooked), CP+B alums John Winsor and Evan Fry have announced the launch of Victors & Spoils, a new Boulder-based agency that will be tethered to the principles of digital community task delegation. Winsor and Fry, who have been fairly hush-hush since tendering their resignations at CP+B just a few weeks ago, will serve as CEO and CCO, respectively. Joining the pair is Claudia Batten, founder of in-game ad firm Massive (later acquired by Microsoft), who will serve as Chief Operating Officer.

According to the announce, V&S' "fresh agency model" is not only intended to deliver engagement, ROI and desired results that crowdsourcing supposedly provides, but they will address perceived crowdsourcing flaws via the creative direction of the reputation-ranked Victors & Spoils crowd. On his blog, Winsor explains the reputation part, saying "People will not only be rewarded by the solutions they develop both individually and as a group but also for participating in the community, itself, and helping others develop their skills and talent. In an effort to guide this participation, members of the creative department will earn a reputation ranking that will help determine a share of the revenue from each project."

In a statement, Fry adds:

"The stage is set for a new model to rise up and permanently disrupt the traditional agency structure--whether that's a digital agency, a traditional agency or some kind of hybrid. And with the engagement, connectivity and creativity of communities today, this kind of shift is inevitable. Is crowdsourcing the answer? Maybe not in its current state. But if we build on its principles by including planning, strategy, insightful brief creation and great creative direction--while attracting and truly rewarding the best creatives --it can be a fundamental part of what we see as a potential revolution. But you still have to give your clients partnership, guidance and direction. And they still want and need a human face. Oh, and they also have to like you. We believe we can deliver this combination."

More: "Evan Fry Resigns from Crispin, Wants to Be F***ing Awesome"

Best Western, "the world's largest hotel chain" according to the release, picked IPG-owned, New York-based Gotham as its AOR. Gotham will manage the integrated creative and strategic duties for the chain-- which spends $45-50 million annually in media--including major 2010/ 2011 initiatives and campaigns. Meanwhile, BW's media biz will continue to be handled by Initiative Media.

More: "Holiday Inn Campaign Kicks Off After Lackluster Logo Change"

Humor/photo blog The Chive informs us of what they call "the best resignation letter ever", which was supposedly sent company-wide by someone at a large Chicago ad agency. It begins with the note:

"Hey Everyone,

Well as many of you know, today is my last day and I'm moving on to be a looper in the Himalayas. I'll spare everyone the cliche farewell email and share my real thought[s] instead."

The author, who is/was a senior media planner, then proceeds to break down his/her frustrations in a top ten list, which includes such choice items as:

"9. When you guys were 'right-sizing instead of downsizing because of the economy', you fired all the cool people."

"5. So I don't have to ask you how your weekend was--I don't care. It's exhausting to listen to you and pretending to care then sugar coating my own weekend stories so you don't recoil in horror."

"4. Comscore reports. Everyone knows Comscore's data is garbage but we all drink that kool-aid everyday, don't we?"

"1. I've gotten 3 job title promotions since I've been here but no raise. I'll bet if I asked to be promoted to Senior Media Planner Ninja-Czar, I'd get it with a pay freeze until 2020."

As a an exclamation point, the disgruntled ex-planner offered the above YouTube clip as their final sentiment towards their former employer. We've spent the weekend (well, a tiny portion at least) speculating which large Chicago ad agency this email came from. Now it's your turn.

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While we noted yesterday that Digitas lost a piece of the Viagra business but would retain the CRM component, we can now safely say that the $20 million CRM account has landed at Rapp.

With McGarry Bowen taking on the $120 million creative duties and now Rapp, who will be handling everything but print and TV work, a Pfizer rep tells AdAge that "all of the agency needs for Viagra are going to be met."

Update: Sources close to Digitas tell us that the agency "did lose a VERY small piece of Viagra biz, but it was under $1mill...definitely not $20 mil. Not sure where the other $18+ million in Viagra biz that Rapp won came from, but...definitely not from [Digitas]." As we alluded to yesterday, we're now being told instead that it was only "a loss southward of $1 mil in relationship management biz."

More: "McGarry Bowen Snatches Viagra from McCann"

Seattle-based agency Creature has come out of hiding and announced a handful of new hires including Todd Sloan as Account Director, Ryan Cunningham as Brand Strategist, Jason Stewart as Director of Broadcast Production and Michael Johnston as Interactive Producer.

While Cunningham and Stewart hail from Los Angeles, working at Siegel+Gale and as a freelance EP, respectively, Sloan is a Fox Sports sales alum and Johnston arrives from Tampa-based web/ad design firm Triad Digital Media.

More: "Scary Costumes from Seattle's Creature"

IPG's Translation is the agency headed by Steve Stoute, who recently partnered with Jay-Z (Shawn Carter) and today those guys announced the addition and promotion of two top people: Jason Peterson and John McBride will act as co-presidents, reporting to Stoute.

Hmm, that's interesting. Any time a company puts two people in the president position you have to wonder: why not just let one lead? Whatever the case, the guys' secondary titles are more helpful — McBride is chief strategy officer and Peterson is ecd.

Peterson, for one, was a founding partner of Berlin Cameron United. We wondered where he'd gone.

McBride was promoted from the director of strategy spot, and was also a founding partner of Translation.

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A whole slew of industry groups and agencies collectively known as the ADCOLOR Industry Coalition has launched a membership drive to help facilitate "knowledge sharing about programs and initiatives that strengthen diversity retention throughout the marketing profession."

The Coalition cause is being led by the Advertising Club of New York, the 4As, the ANA, AAF, Arnold Worldwide and Omnicom Group, who together will focus on an education effort that calls for identifying diversity retention best practices and programs, facilitating industry-wide networking among diverse marketing professionals and more.

If you're interested and have 5K a year to spare for membership fees, visit the ADCOLOR site for more info.

More: "Diversity in Advertising Career Day: The Winners, The Losers, The Posturing"