Digitas

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.

So, the damn Word doc that Digitas sent us has a shitty extension and therefore, it’s not downloadable. So, we’ll just tell you that, yes, Kevin Drew Davis has officially joined the Publicis Groupe agency as expected. We believe he’s taking on the title of executive creative director but we’ll update you momentarily. If you can’t recall our Wednesday post about Davis (and who can blame you, it’s Advertising Week after all), here’s your quick refresher: He resigned from Draftfcb Chicago after spending 18 months as EVP/group creative director. Prior to Draft, Davis led creative teams at Wieden + Kennedy, The Richards Group and GSD&M.

Update: Davis himself emailed us and confirmed that he’s now an ECD at Digitas and will start on Tuesday. He will have four GCD’s reporting to him and will be responsible for accounts across the Chicago office including MillerCoors, P&G and Whirlpool. Mazel Tov.

Digitas Chicago, home to ridiculous videos from copywriters and “Best Places to Work” honors among other things, has welcomed a pair of Draftfcb alums by the names of Sarah Montague and Brooke Skinner, who will join the Publicis Groupe agency as SVP of marketing and SVP, account planning lead, respectively.

Montague, who served as SVP, group managing director and worked on CRM and multi-channel efforts on Volkswagen while at Draft (for just over a year), will lead marketing efforts for Kaiser Permanente and Kraft at Digitas. As for Skinner, who was SVP, global director of strategic planning at Draft on SC Johnson (RIP), the exec will work across all accounts as planning lead.

Meanwhile on the Digitas Boston front, the agency has brought on Robert Guay as SVP of marketing on the Aflac account. Guay previously worked at Fallon as group account director for, mm, nine months give or take and handled digital strategy on Cadillac.

Some of Digitas Chicago’s most notable accounts include MillerCoors, Kraft and Whirlpool.

Recycling might be a total pain in the ass, but did you know that it can also be fun? At least, that is if we are to believe the above video from Digitas Chicago called “Green Project Recycling.”

As Kris Bass, the copywriter who sent us the video, tells us “We got a little carried away. And shit got weird. Fast. I know Digitas gets slammed a lot on (AgencySpy) for its creative repute. Hopefully this video will change people’s perception. Or make them vomit.” As you make your way through the video, it becomes clear that Bass is not exaggerating. What starts off as just sort of goofy and dumb in the first minute eventually escalates into somewhat surreal absurdity.

Getting past the first minute is well worth it, as we encounter a glowing recycling bin, a man choking and some guy being tackled. While I might not have learned a whole lot about saving the planet from Digitas’ video, I certainly laughed quite a bit. So, nice job, Digitas. It’s rare to see an employee-made video that isn’t full of inside jokes and people acting cute for the camera.

After spending nearly six years at Digitas New York, where he served as VP/group director, business development and VP/group director, marketing, Adam Trisk is out at the agency. We’re awaiting word on exactly why Trisk and Digitas parted ways, but according to one tipster, he wasn’t the only biz dev departure in recent weeks (we’re trying to find out who else).

During his time at Digitas, Trisk worked on accounts including Guthy-Renker, American Express and Diageo. Prior to that, he’s worked for the likes of KBS+P as an account executive and spent four years as a partner at Publicis.