EuroRSCG

Well, it didn’t take long for Allyson Witherspoon, former group account director on BMW at KBS+P, to find a new gig. After four years spent at said agency, Witherspoon is now joining up at Euro RSCG’s New York office as global digital brand director. The newly appointed exec will move from one automotive brand to another as she’ll now run Euro’s Volvo account as well as handle new strategy efforts for select clients. During her career, she also spent time at Merkley + Partners working on the agency’s Mercedes-Benz account. We sense a theme with her career here.

Yes, Adweek beat us to the punch, but they’re indeed spot-on with the news that Euro RSCG is no longer involved in the ExxonMobil review, which was launched last fall. Despite the losses of Jaguar and Heineken and cuts in the New York office a couple of months back, the agency remained optimistic about retaining its piece of the ExxonMobil business. Along with Euro, Publicis and Martin Agency were also given the boot. Now, it’s down to DDB, BBDO and McCann Erickson.

We should hopefully have some sort of official comment today from the Euro camp regarding the news. Stay tuned.

Update: We were referred to the client as well for comment, though it appears they’re keeping schtum for now.

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You know, when you’re chasing a tip or two around all day and you realize it’s already been stowed away like a nest egg with a rival who only wants to turn their noses up, what the hell can you do? Anyhow, it’s all for naught, and we realize what will become of sleeping on a matter, so anyhow, sorry for attending some events, but during our downtime, Euro RSCG has nabbed AOR dibs for Hefty and Reynolds. Here’s a quick note to agency and client folks: We don’t mean you any harm, you can tell us the truth honestly without bowing down to the whims of some other publication that’s as fossilized as the cast from Cocoon.

Anyhow, as Adage reports now, and as our sources familiar with the matter told us before said trade reported it, “Earlier this year [Campbell Mithun was] informed when Reynolds took over Pactiv that [the] contract would not be renewed.”  We guess all is fair in love and garbage, but you seriously can cinch that.

Sources familiar with the matter confirm that Euro RSCG’s New York office had to let some people go this week. We’ve been told that the cuts affect “less than five percent of the workforce” and were made “across disciplines” at the agency, including units such as digital and health & wellness. Creatives-wise, sources say “fewer than [you] count on one hand” were shown the door.

According to our sources, the residual effects of losing Jaguar and Heineken earlier this year played a role in the layoffs as did Euro’s current need to make the agency more “efficient” when it comes to its shared services. From what we’re hearing through the grapevine, Euro RSCG is still remaining optimistic about its chances of retaining a piece of the Exxon Mobil creative account, which went into review earlier this year.

Update: We’ve also received word from our sources that Euro RSCG NY’s co-CEO Pete Zillig, who left London for New York earlier this year to assume his post, is staying within the Euro network but is heading back to the U.K to assume a “new global role.” Over the course of the next month, we’ve been told that his partner-in-crime Jeff Brooks will assume sole executive leadership at the New York office.

Live video by Ustream

With the rapture definitely happening tomorrow, it’s natural to look for some direction on how to spend your last full day on a non-chaotic earth. Well, why not cozy up with your laptop and watch a EuroRSCG Chicago get his haircut.

A EuroRSCG tipster left this message in our inbox:

“We groom interns at Euro Chicago differently. Take copy intern Ricky Johanet for example. Today is Ricky’s final day with Euro, but before he sets out to leave his mark on the world, we’re going to leave our mark on him.

Ricky gave us carte blanche on the cut. We took four options to Euro Chi’s Facebook page and allowed the agency to vote on the style.

Options included:
St. Francis Monk
Kenny “Sky” Walker
Mr. T
Checkerboard

Watch the stream on the agency’s USTREAM channel here.

Following the news that Eric Edge is on his way to Facebook, Euro RSCG verified that it’s also made some cuts in its New York office. Here’s the official statement:

“We have made the difficult decision to eliminate a few positions within our creative department at Euro RSCG New York. This move is part of a realignment within our creative teams that we believe will better position us for growth.”

We’re still trying to gather approximate numbers. Stay tuned…

From what tipsters tell us, Tuesday wasn’t a good day for John Pucci, who had spent the last two years as executive creative director at Euro RSCG Edge. According to them, Pucci “got into an argument in a meeting…and stormed out and immediately quit.”

While we were unable to verify that, the Euro camp sent us this statement: “Over the past two years the agency has invested a tremendous amount of time and energy in working with John to leverage his advertising and marketing skills and focus them into the direct response industry that we know and love. Ultimately, John believed that this fit was not going to happen and has decided to move on. We wish him well and in the interim.”

The L.A.-based creative joined Euro RSCG Edge from RAPP, where he was SVP/ECD of brand integration. Prior to that, he spent two years as an SVP/ECD at Publicis Dialog and also held management positions at DDB and Tracy Locke.

After a quarter-century spent at Euro RSCG, the agency’s North American executive chairman Ron Berger is calling it quits. After initially co-founding the agency that became Messner Vetere Berger McNamee Schmetterer Euro RSCG in 1986, Berger went on to serve in various top posts within the Havas-owned network including stints as CEO of both Euro RSCG New York and San Francisco.

Berger is the man credited with coming up with the “Time to make the donuts” campaign for Dunkin Donuts, which made the Museum of Broadcasting list as one of the best TV campaigns of the 80′s. In a statement, he says, “I’ve had a wonderful 25 years, founding, building, and running an agency that has become one of the leading agencies in North America. And while a lot has changed over the years, what hasn’t are the extraordinary opportunities for smart, passionate people to succeed in this business. So the time seems right to pursue opportunities that excite me today as much as starting the agency did 25 years ago.”

Sources familiar with the matter wouldn’t confirm or deny that Andy Currie and David Weinstock are on their way out at Euro RSCG New York. The duo has spent the past few years as creative directors on the Dos Equis account, which of course features the Cannes/Effie/D&AD/Clio-winning “Most Interesting Man in the World” campaign. Currie, aka “The Balding Punk,”  has been with Euro since 2007, joining as senior copywriter before moving up to ACD then eventually CD. Prior to that, he served as a CW at TBWA\Chiat\Day and Wunderman among others. Weinstock has logged five years at Euro RSCG, first starting as a CD in its 4D unit. He also owned his own shop, Flippedlid Design, for well over a decade.

No word on what the timetable is for the exits or where the pair is headed to next. Apparently, almost everyone’s hit the mute button, but we’ll hopefully sort this out in the days to come.

Euro RSCG San Francisco’s director, digital services Kevin Newby is headed to the agency’s Windy City office to take on the newly created director, digital strategy post.

Newby’s ties to the Euro camp dates back to the late nineties, when he assumed a VP/creative director post in the New York office after the shop he co-founded, Rockpile Interactive, was acquired by the Havas agency. He subsequently went on to help start up another interactive firm, Kadium, back in 2001 and ran it for over six years, landing clients such as Sony Computer Entertainment America, Adobe and the U.S. Air Force in the process. Newby rejoined Euro in 2008 and now that he’s headed to Chicago, the exec will be responsible for supporting clients across the agency’s roster including Sprint, Groupon and Beam Global Spirits & Wine.

Newby kicked off his career at Foote Cone & Belding SF, which he once claimed brought him on as its first interactive designer.