Agencies

As of today, a certain shop has restricted employees' use of the inter Webs by blocking a few sites that require high volumes of bandwidth. The move is being pushed as a money saving strategy that in reality probably will do just that, despite leaving employees without access to content that is arguable valuable to their work.

We're told employees of this shop's offices can say goodbye to: YouTube, BBC, iPlayer, Spotify, Channel4, SkyPlayer and Google Videos — each of which will eat bandwidth like a whale sucking krill.

First off, let's not worry about which shop is doing this. The question I'd like to pose is: does having access to these sites improve your ability to know what's happening out there or does it make it harder to do your work? Probably both, but let's pick a side, shall we?

Update: The agency just got back to us and informs that they're not blocked as of right now.

More: "Brand Loss Eckos Thru the Web"

Say what you will about BBDO's troubles in Detroit and whatever other locales, but the agency still seems to be garnering kudos in spite of it all. Following its third Network of the Year prize at Cannes, BBDO was once again named the "Most Awarded Agency Network in the World" by The Gunn Report. This marks the fourth year in a row that BBDO has been ranked #1 and the seventh time in Gunn's 11-year history according to the announce. Among the most awarded agencies in the fold were Almap BBDO, Brazil (#2), BBDO New York (#7) and AMV BBDO, London (#9).

BBDO wasn't alone in the winners circle, though. DDB London was named the Most Awarded Advertising Agency in the World, the third time the UK office received such honors.

More: "BBDO Does the Senior Staff Shuffle"

There you have it folks, the new crowdsourced logo for Boulder-based Victors & Spoils, who revealed it in an agency post titled "Hello World. This is Our Logo. AKA: Proof That Talent Rises." The winning work was created by Andrea Bigiarini (not to be confused with Toronto Raptors player Andrea Bargnani), who seems to favor old-school tattoo art, the type of branding you'd see on beer bottles and plenty of taglines. Hmm, where have we heard "power to the people" before?

While the black & white is a nice touch, we have to agree with Adland that the second-place Pirate Bay ripoff would've been a lot more amusing.

More: "CP+B Alums Launch Crowdsourcing-Based Agency"

Crowdsourcing agencies didn't seem at all flummoxed when former Crispin guys John Winsor and Evan Fry and Massive founder Claudia Batten announced that they'd launched the "The world's first creative (ad) agency built on crowdsourcing principles." Probably because they all do different things, and being "first" isn't important, unless you're America and the year is 1969.

But various commenters and blogs have bemoaned the agency's "first" claim. Naturally, we're hopping on board to list a bit of what we know. First, a short list of companies operating on the crowdsourcing model:

— GeniusRocket: "Launch your creative project. Review tons of great submissions. Choose your favorites."

— Adhack: "AdHack is an open marketplace for ad creative. We connect Ad Buyers with Ad Creators and help them both win."

— open src advertising: "A place to acquire everything from inspiration to fully baked advertising campaigns that provide real business solutions to client problems."

— Crowdspring: "Post a creative project. Watch the world contribute ideas. Choose the one you like."

— 99 Designs: "We help you run a 'design contest', where thousands of designers compete to create the best possible design to meet your needs."

— Eyeka: "Filmmakers, photographers, animators, graphic designers, register for free on Eyeka, share your creations and participate in video contests and photo contests launched by Brands to win prizes and be recognized!"

— TopCoder: Crowdsourcing since 2003.

Some of these are more Web centers/platforms than "shops", but nonetheless it's clear that crowdsourcing already exists as a business model accessible by advertising professionals. Mediabistro, parent of AgencySpy, even has its own sort-of-crowdsourcy tool called Freelance connect. It's nothing like an agency but uses the Web to connect freelancers to various projects. So yes, there are others, and no, V&S isn't the first crowdsourcing company. Again, who cares?

An interesting note: we asked our (almost) 10k followers on Twitter to "name a crowdsourcing agency" and the majority responses we got pointed to Victors & Spoils. The one exception came from @purplesime who said "That sounds like any agency with no backbone to its producers and account teams. I could name several."

Anyway, the propensity for "V&S" responses could be due to their recent popularity or because folks generally aren't aware of Adhack, Genius Rocket et al. And in that case, V&S is inadvertently raising those companies' profiles, and the field's in general. That's enough of that.

Note: If we missed a crowdsourcing company/agency, please let us know ad we'll update. Email agencyspy at mediabistro dot com.

Via Tribble, Image

More: "CP+B Alums Launch Crowdsourcing-Based Agency"

In our reporting of the creative exodus that's befallen TBWA\Chiat\Day we mentioned one creative director Joe Shands, was among the quitting crowd. A tip pointed us to an obscure interview posted to YouTube (embedded below) where a fellow claiming to be Shands says he quit working at the shop to start his own agency in Austin, Texas. Vendor is the name, says this Shands character, and it will be staffed with other people.

They include:

James Martin, Planner

Jeff Nixon, VP-Creative Director at GSD&M

Clark Evans, ACD at GSD&M in Austin, previous stint at Chiat.

Shands has made the rounds at some of the country's more well known shops, including Wieden + Kennedy and Goodby. He mentions the shops a few times in the interview, noting that like Jeff Goodby (he imagines) one of his favorite parts about being a creative director is watching people below him win awards, and being part of developing that winner's skills. Aw, nice.

Based on the interview we don't expect anything groundbreaking from this new shop. They want to, according to Shands, focus on the client's success. They're pushing for a smaller organization, a more intimate environment where they're more partner than server, which makes the name Vendor somewhat ironic.

"It's not about the great agency and being this famous entity," says Shands. "It's about truly changing the way we view marketing, advertising and the way we talk to people."

Well, maybe they are trying to do something different. Presumably that means 'when compared to Chiat and/or GSD&M,' else he might not have left. Shands and crew consider themselves producers — which, again, isn't really a change in practice so much as it is a change in perspective. We all produce something, eh?

"I hope it doesn't sound like a gimmick," says Shands. Unfortunately for him, this business is notorious for chewing through start-ups that try to be different even if that only means being more personally vested in a client's success. That might be the only big idea that still means something.

Shands was not immediately available for comment.

More: "Jason Nichols Quits Chiat LA"

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

More: "Super Bowl Pre-Roll: Cars.com"

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"