Digitas

Well, it probably won’t make up for yet another Patriots Super Bowl fumble, but perhaps regular Padma Lakshmi sightings could bring some folks in Boston a little cheer. Digitas is trying to lure Lakshmi, head judge Tom Colicchio and the rest of the gang from Bravo’s Top Chef to film their tenth season in Beantown via a social media campaign called “You Gotta Try Boston.”

As you’d expect, the Digitas effort includes a Facebook site (nearly 600 likes and counting) where visitors are (obviously) raving and posting photos/links about Boston’s restaurants, dishes and the like. Of course, Twitter also comes into play and Digitas is asking folks to tweet about what makes Boston the best with the hashtags #topchef and #yougottatryboston. If you’re so inclined to join in on the conversation, go here.

Speaking to the site called, yes, Wicked Local, Digitas ECD Rob Rizzo says that the campaign idea was hatched a couple of weeks ago and regardless of the outcome, he hopes that some of the smaller, low-profile restaurants around town gain notice. We’re big fans of Top Chef, but to be honest, we’re not willing to go all in on a Boston season next year.

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After a five-and-a-half year run at Draftfcb, Simon Calvert has jumped over to Digitas to take on the role of head of worldwide strategic planning. Calvert, who will continue to be based in London, most recently served as global chief planning officer at Draft, which promoted him to said post from executive strategy director back in 2009.

During his 20-plus-year career, Calvert spent time on the account side at the likes of McCann Erickson and Euro RSGC’s London officers before moving on to the head of strategy post at Proximity, where he spent two years prior to joining Draftfcb.

Nearly one month after taking on the role of Sprint Nextel’s new lead agency, Digitas has hired Donna Biernadski to run the division that’s been dubbed “Team Sprint.” Biernadski, whose official title is SVP of marketing at the Publicis Groupe agency’s new unit, had a couple of two-year stints as SVP at the likes of Wunderman (SVP, chief of integration) and Euro RSCG (SVP, group account director) as well as a 15-year run on the account side at DDB prior to joining Digitas. The exec will be based in Chicago and report to Doug Ryan, managing director of Digitas’s Windy City office, which will manage the Sprint business effective Feb. 1.

We’re received confirmation that Digitas Health SVP, creative director Ashish Verma is leaving the agency. During his six-year run at Digitas Health, which recently realigned with the Publicis Healthcare Communications Group, Verma led creative on all the Pfizer business. The man himself could not reveal where he’s going to next due to confidentiality agreements and Digitas Health has yet to provide comment on the matter.

Do you want more agency holiday cards? Well, it doesn’t matter, because you’re getting more anyway (sorry, we’ll try to be more merciful as the holiday progresses).

From Digitas comes “Clicks for Karma,” a Facebook app that gives back to the communities where Digitas’ offices are located. On Digitas’ Facebook page, users can select charities such as Chicago’s “Boys Hope Girls Hope” and New York’s “Union Settlement Association” for the agency to donate to. Aside from encouraging users to share “Clicks for Karma” and the charities with others on Facebook, Digitas also offers up “Gary the ‘My Snowballs Turn Your Webpage into Awesomeness’ Snowdude.” After saving Gary in their bookmarks toolbar, users can add Gary to any website, where his snowball-throwing capabilities can turn sites’ images into those of candy canes, penguins, and the like.

Meanwhile, social media agency Big Fuel is partnering with the NY Human Society with an Advent–er, “Catvent“–calendar. Each day in December, Big Fuel is showcasing a new kitty looking for a home with a strange, irreverent voice-over. For example, today we have a kitty named Stevie, who, according to a short video, is wearing her “most classy pantsuit to defend Bill Clinton‘s impeachment in 1998.” Well, perhaps a Clinton sympathizer or secret mistress will find Stevie’s tiny blazer too adorable to resist…

Sources familiar with the matter confirm that Billy Seabrook, who has served as an SVP/executive creative director for both the Stamford and Atlanta offices of Digitas, is leaving around year’s end to take a job at eBay. No word on what his exact new post is, but Seabrook spent the last eight years at the Publicis Groupe/VivaKi agency, working on campaigns for Starburst and AmEx in the process. Prior to joining Digitas, Seabrook spent time as a creative at what was then FCBi as well as Tribal DDB.

As the media world continues buzzing about Digitas CEO Laura Lang‘s move to Time Inc. (which we’ve been told “took everyone by surprise” when it was announced on Oct. 27), we’ve also been hearing from multiple sources that there’s a little transition occurring in the Publicis/VivaKi agency’s Health unit. Word on the street is that after a year of taking on dual roles as ECD/managing director, Graham Mills is no longer serving as the latter and now, Rich Newman “takes on sole reins” as as the Philly-based agency’s MD. Mills, who’s been with Digitas for six years and has served as the Health unit’s ECD for over three, will maintain his aforementioned title while Newman continues on as SVP/managing director, which he assumed back in May of this year.

Update: From what we’ve been told, Mills is still the ECD at Digitas Health.

 

Sources familiar with the matter confirm that pharma giant Sanofi, which makes Allegra, Plavix and Ambien among many other products, has expanded its relationship with Digitas Health. As the hed says, the company is specifically consolidating digital creative duties for Pasteur (its vaccines division) with the Philly-based agency, which already had a pre-existing relationship with Sanofi as one of its media partners.

As a result, Publicis Modem is no longer working on Pasteur (example of PM’s work here), though sources say the New York-based unit has been working with Publicis Healthcare Communications Group (now home to Digitas/Razorfish Health) to help transition the relationship.

In other Modem-related news, Kim Easley, who has spent nearly two years as the agency’s VP/director of creative resources, has resigned and is heading back to her former life as a recruiter. We’ve been told that if need be, Publicis Modem will now be tapping into the creative resourcing function at Publicis NY, which has been working more closely with PM since the latter’s recent restructuring.

Update: Just to clarify, here’s a current rundown of Sanofi Pasteur agency partnerships:

-  Creative AOR for Healthcare Professionals:  Saatchi & Saatchi Healthcare Innovations
-  Creative AOR for Consumer:  Kaplan Thaler Group
-  Digital Media: Digitas Health
-  Off-line Media:  Optimedia
-  Digital AOR:  Publicis Modem

As of January 1, 2012, digital AOR will transition from Publicis Modem to Digitas Health.

We’re not sure if this is an evolution of the “shared centers of excellence” structure that Digitas/Razorfish Health were plotting after the last round of layoffs this summer, but whatever the case, the agencies have now aligned with Publicis Healthcare Communications Group as part of a revamp of Publicis Groupe’s healthcare offering.

With this move, Digitas and Razorfish Health will join a PHCG roster that currently includes Saatchi & Saatchi Health, Publicis Life Brands, Publicis Healthware International, Publicis Touchpoint Solutions, and Publicis Medical Education Group. Leadership-wise, while Digitas/Razorfish Health CEO is calling it quits by year’s end, global co-presidents Michael du Toit and Alexandra von Plato will remain on board and report to PHCG president/CEO Nick Colucci. In a statement, Publicis Groupe COO Jean-Yves Naouri, who’s been mentioned over and over as Maurice Levy‘s eventual successor and oversees PHCG, says, “This move will create patterns of cross-fertilization, ensuring that we have the sharpest and best integrated skills on the market.”

The Philly-based Health units’ client roster currently includes J&J, Prizer and Bristol-Myers Squibb.

Well, it looks like Digitas and Razorfish Health’s revamped executive team is losing head from body as CEO David Kramer has announced that he’s retiring at the end of 2011. In a statement,  Kramer sounds like anyone on the verge of retirement after a long career,  saying, “Digitas Health and Razorfish Health are poised to become important global agencies engaged in the transformation of healthcare marketing. As founder and CEO for the last 23 years, I realize that it is time for the next generation of leaders in our company to fulfill our worldwide ambition.”  Kramer has decided that he’d like to slow his business life down. I am really happy at the thought of playing more guitar, more golf, more time with my wife, daughters and grandchildren.”

Five years back, Kramer’s Medical Broadcasting Company was acquired by Digitas which was acquired by Publicis Groupe in 2007 and eventually became Digitas Health.