The Spy line was spot-on once again as we’ve received confirmation that BBDO New York is indeed making some cuts this week that “are significant and across departments.” No numbers have been revealed (trust us, we inquired), but as your probably know, the agency’s longtime relationship with Gillette recently ended when parent company P&G passed over its shaving brand’s account to Grey a few weeks ago. No word if the “significant” reductions were directly related, but we’ll let you do the math. We’ve been told that the reductions are still happening, so we’ll let you know if we hear more.

Let’s kill two birds, shall we? AT&T must really like little kids. First, we had the Beck Bennett commercials that ran incessantly during March Madness (and still run; check out the newest Mother’s Day-themed “It’s Not Complicated” clip from BBDO after the jump). Now, the telecom giant seems to think we want more, more, more. The latest work from Dallas-based multicultural agency Sanders\Wingo shows young’ns on their mobile devices, saying things like, “In my day…our connection was so slow, we had to take turns online.”

Some viewers may find this cute, others may find it scary, but as kids become more and more comfortable with the latest technology, these types of spots should become the norm. We already have videos of babies who can swipe a page on an iPad, but can’t turn the page in a book or magazine. Regardless, kids will always have to eat the trope-filled Brussels sprout before they get to use any of these devices, and that’s how we get the thirty-second “Veggies.”

Check out the second spot, “Haircut,” the aforementioned “It’s Not Complicated” Mother’s Day effort and credits for all after the jump.

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Nearly three years after joining up with BBDO New York as EVP/group planning director on the AT&T account, Jeff Kenyon has moved up the charts as he’s now been appointed head of planning for the agency. It seems like a natural transition for Kenyon considering that he’s already been shouldering some of the planning responsibilities handled by his predecessor, Paul Matheson, who if you recall returned to Asia last year (the head of planning post has been vacant since then). As mentioned in the past, Kenyon joined BBDO after serving as group planning director at Ogilvy on campaigns including IBM’s “Smarter Planet” and “My Life, My Card” for American Express.

We’ve received confirmation that Carl Jannerfeldt, who has spent nearly the last three years at BBDO serving as a digital creative/copywriter on, perhaps most notably, AT&T’s now-ubiquitous “It’s Not Complicated” campaign, has joined Wieden+Kennedy New York as a senior creative. Sources familiar with the matter add that Stockholm native Jannerfeldt officially assumed his post yesterday and will work across a variety of accounts at the agency, which counts clients including ESPN, Heineken, Delta and Jordan Brand.

Jannerfeldt’s most recent AT&T work, run out of both BBDO New York and Atlanta, featured some NBA legends, though the videos appear to have now been taken private. Ah well, we always our charming efforts featuring the roundtable moderator and the kids, which the new W+K staffer was involved with (one example below).

During his career, Jannerfeldt has also worked as a copywriter for a couple of years the now-defunct, Stockholm-based Farfar.

Update: Got some clarification from the man himself. Jannerfeldt tells us that he was mainly involved in the AT&T “Brackets by Six-Year-Olds” digital campaign that launched during March Madness, the concept of which inspired the spots above, hence why his name was included in the credits. Thanks for the clarification, sir.

From Chicago’s Energy BBDO comes two new spots for Orbit that illustrate the mantra “Eat, Drink, Chew,” a saying that became popular in North Carolina and surrounding regions in the late 18th century.

With the famed Tobacco Road turning to alternative industries due to America’s feeble attempt to kick its dirty, smelly habit, Wrigley brand Orbit is jumping at the opportunity to turn the saying into something positive for its strain of refreshing after-meal gum. To illustrate that Orbit fights bad breath, they’ve turned to living, breathing food mutant actors. Traditionally maligned by society due to their unsightly presence and caustic personalities, it’s inspiring to see these social outcasts given a role, whether they’re a pile of buttery mashed potatoes or a hunk of unidentifiable fried meat.

A second spot depicts working-class Americans’ number one reason for avoiding polo matches. No, it’s not the overabundance of pastel Ralph Lauren sweaters; it’s the fear of breathing partially digested nacho particles onto a horse that someone probably paid a lot of money and accidentally killing it. Remember, only Orbit can prevent a life of indentured servitude under the employ of an oil baron whose polo horse you mistakenly murdered. Credits after the jump.
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We’ve seen James Harden tear away a warm-up beard and trade an entourage member to Kris Humphries in past Foot Locker commercials, but in the latest effort from BBDO New York, for Kids Foot Locker this time around, Miami Heat All-Star Chris Bosh rounds up some youngsters and takes them to his team’s training facility.

Seriously, where are the parents? Tick Tock, Pork Chop, Sizzle, and Rick Springfield just roam the streets without supervision? Also, when Bosh says he “rounded up” other kids because of “fresh gear” at a Kids Foot Locker, nobody recognized how high this ranks on the Unintentional Comedy Scale?

This ad isn’t as clever as the Harden spots, but Ray Allen is involved, so that makes it okay in my book. And I mean the real Ray Allen, not Tick Tock. Credits after the jump.

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It looks like last year’s loss of the Bank of America business continues to haunt BBDO New York as we’ve received confirmation that the agency has let go of more staff due to said account.  This latest news comes four months after the last round of layoffs at BBDO NY as a result of BofA shifting its ad duties to WPP last spring. This time around, though, we’re being told that approximately three percent of staff across departments (up from approximately two percent last time) were affected as BBDO NY continues making its “adjustments.”

Ah, a Super Bowl breather and the Foot Locker/NBA-focused funny continues in this new spot from BBDO New York, which focuses on mohawk/fierce beard-sporting James Harden, the ex-Oklahoma City Thunder sixth-man-turned-Houston Rockets starter. See kids, this is what happens when you don’t have the flow to flaunt fresh kicks on a consistent basis: You hang out with Kim Kardashian’s ex. Ugh, we can smell the Drakkar Noir from here. Credits after the jump.

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Well, that was fast. After spending less than a year at McGarryBowen, where he helped lead creative on the Bud Light account (which A-B InBev, of course, handed over to Translation last August), Mike Roe has returned to his old stomping grounds at Chicago-based Energy BBDO. The returning creative, whose first tour of duty at said agency spanned nearly eight years, is rejoining as ECD, which we’ve been told is a new position.

During his initial run at Energy BBDO, Roe, along with his art-directing partner-in crime Frank Dattalo, served as group creative director on all things Wrigley (Orbit and Altoids) and Dial at the agency. Roe officially assumed his new ECD post at Energy on Jan. 2 and is reporting to CCO, Dan Fietsam.

According to our magic 8-ball (and sources), signs point to yes that Greg Gerstner, currently a creative director/copywriter at Ogilvy NY, will be joining up with BBDO “sometime this month.” Details are somewhat hazy at the moment, but from what we’re hearing, the senior creative will most likely be assuming a CD post and work across various accounts at the Omnicom-owned agency.

Gerstner has spent the last six-and-a-half years at O&M, initially joining the agency as a senior copywriter and subsequently moving up the ranks. During his time at the agency, Gerstner worked primarily on the IBM account, helping lead creative on projects including last year’s U.S. Open data wall (see below). During his career, Gerstner has also spent some time as a copywriter at the likes of T.A.G. (now twofifteenmccann), TBWA\Chiat\Day and the now-defunct Cliff Freeman & Partners. Update: Yes, we’ve received concrete word that Gerstner is indeed joining BBDO later this month as a CD on various accounts.