MDC Partners

Another day, another MDC Partners-related item. Days after merging Vitro and Skinny, the agency holding company announced the opening of Anomaly Amsterdam. Back in February, MDC acquired a majority stake in the New York/London-based shop, which last picked up the NBC Sports Network account according to sources.

Anyhow, back to Amsterdam. The new Anomaly office will be led by managing director Hazelle Klonhammer, who spent over a decade at W+K Amsterdam and has also worked at 180, Modernista! and Amirati Puris Lintas in Sydney. Joining Klonhammer at Anomaly’s new digs is one Richard Mulder, a former Nike brand communications manager who will now assume the role of agency partner at Anomaly Amsterdam. With Anomaly’s Euro bases seemingly covered for the time being, the agency and its parent are setting their sights on the booming Brazilian market in 2012 according to a statement from Anomaly CEO/partner Carl Johnson.

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It’s official that two MDC-owned agencies have bridged the gap between West and East Coast as we’ve received confirmation that NYC-based Skinny has now become Vitro New York. Now, with the merger and re-branding, Vitro San Diego and NYC will house a combined total of just over a hundred staffers (we’ve been told there were no layoffs as a result of the alignment).

The new leadership at Vitro consists of creative chairman Jon Vitro, CEO Tom Sullivan, and Liron Reznik and Jonas Hallberg (Skinny’s co-founders) as CCOs. Meanwhile, the updated client roster at the full-service, bi-coastal entity includes ASICS, Newcastle, Nokia, Target and P.F. Chang’s.

It feels like a six-degrees game, but nonetheless, Miles Nadal and his MDC crew have taken a majority interest in NYC-based, fashion-focused shop Laird+Partners, which handled Gap at one point as did CP+B of course, so we’re sure you get the connection. Anyhow, Laird, which was founded in 2002 by Trey Laird, counts clients ranging from Donna Karan to Vera Wang but has also stepped out of the fashion box by working with the likes of Hilton and Dr. Pepper.

Laird’s namesake and founder sings his new parent company’s praises in a statement, saying, “”They have an entrepreneurial independent spirit that greatly mirrors our own vision. Our success in blending strong strategic brand building with high impact visual style for our clients can be significantly enhanced through this partnership with MDC. Additionally, we now have the appropriate firepower behind us to continue to deepen our capabilities beyond the luxury and fashion categories to create a formidable presence abroad.”

 

Eight months after MDC Partners rolled out its “Million Dollar Challenge,” the holding company announced that its winner, Kip Voytek, will head up a new, New York-based non-profit focused on digital arts and science education called the Digital Works Institute. What was Voytek’s winning idea, which beat out 200 others? To expand digital arts and education, and to realize his vision via DWI, he will leave his post as SVP, communications planning at digital shop Rapp.

The exec is no stranger to digital education programs as he’s served as an advisor to Boulder Digital Works, which was co-founded by CP+B and the University of Colorado, since its inception. Crispin chairman and MDC chief strategist, Chuck Porter, says in a statement, “The vision of The Digital Works Institute is to be a powerful resource for learning and innovation. Our expectation was that the Million Dollar Challenge would go to a new business start up, but this not-for-profit initiative was the most compelling idea we saw. Hopefully, it will help to enlarge the pool of digital talent and enhance the quality of digital innovation across a broad array of businesses. It’s not really a business investment for MDC, it’s more of an investment in the future of the industry.”

Miles Nadal & Co.’s acquisition spree continues as MDC Partners has now nabbed a majority partnership stake in Anomaly, the seven-year-old New York/London shop that counts clients such as Converse (recent work here), Umbro & Cole Haan, Budweiser, Sony, P&G, Pepsi, Motorola and Diageo.

With the acquisition, MDC plans to establish Anomaly bases in China, Brazil and mainland Europe. The latter shop’s co-founder, Carl Johnson, explains the reason for the deal in a statement, saying, “Given the degree of independence we have all become used to, it was essential that we are ‘fuelled’ not ‘controlled’ – MDC not only understands this but embraces it. Their ability to help foster growth while maintaining an entrepreneurial spirit is incredibly important to the culture of Anomaly and consequently, makes MDC the perfect partner for us.”

Well, this is a doozy to end the day. It looks like Miles Nadal‘s acquisition spree continues as his MDC Partners has announced that it’s acquired a majority interest in Los Angeles/Amsterdam agency 72andSunny, which counts clients including HP, RIM, Nike, CKE Restaurants and 2K Sports.

In a statement, John Boiler, 72andSunny CEO and one of its three founders, says, “We started 72andSunny with a set of ideas that we believed were the most modern and relevant to doing great work far into the future. The partnership with Miles and MDC allows us to test and expand on those ideas more quickly which will ultimately benefit our culture, our people, and our clients.”

Currently, 72andSunny is a 150-strong operation that’s added some notable creatives in 2010 and, let’s not forget, had Kenny Powers shill for K-Swiss.  According to comments made in the announce by MDC chief Nadal, the shop is “the agency of both today and tomorrow” and has “deep global experience and understanding, and their clients recognize the amazing combination of digital expertise, and creative prowess with the component of measurable results.”

With all its acquisitions over the past several months, it appears Toronto-based MDC Partners still has money to spare, so what’s another million bucks? That’s the offering from Miles Nadal & Co. for some lucky entrepreneurial person or persons who can conjure up the best start-up idea. According to a statement from Nadal in the NYT, the main goal of the challenge, which was actually conceived by CP+B chairman Chuck Porter, is that “you do brilliant work, you want to make brands famous and you want to drive results for clients.”

Sounds pretty much like all agency creative recruitment ads, but nonetheless, we shall most likely be speaking with Miles Nadal on Monday to pick his brain and get more insight into this project, which was announced today at a seminar in Cannes. Of course, the $1 mil doesn’t come without some interest of sorts as MDC will take a 51 percent stake in the winning shop. If being a minority owner is your cup of tea, you can start emailing your proposals here.

More: “AdAge: McCann Suing MDC Over Alleged Employee/Client Poaching”

We guess every once in a while, you have to kiss a little ass as Humongo does in its coverage of the new website for MDC Partners, the parent company of SourceMarketing, which acquired Humongo (formerly known as Plaid) in March.

On their Brand Flakes for Breakfast blog, which we’re fans of, the Humongo horde shows some love and shamelessly plugs for Grandpa, though we have to admit MDC’s new online destination actually isn’t quite so terrible as far as agency websites go.

The Chief Creative Insurgent you all know and love provides the intro video for the site, which in Bogusky’s words provides the opportunity for “hi-tech stalking of MDC executives.”

More: “Miles Nadal: MDC Has Done Digital Better Than All Others”

MDC Head Honcho Miles Nadal is forming partnerships left and right, growing the MDC network faster than Rogaine sprouts fuzzy hair on a bald guy. We recently got our grubby little hands on list of his rules for partnership and now we’re going to reveal these highly guarded “musts” to the public*. With no further adieu:

1. Only partner with someone with whom you would want to have breakfast, lunch or dinner with a second time.

2. Only partner with someone you like, admire, and respect.

3. Only partner with someone you trust enough to make the executor of your estate.

4. Only partner with someone with whom you would want to spend a long weekend on a small boat, in a small cabin, or on a small ranch.

5. Only partner with someone who shares the same passion, dedication, and willingness to sacrifice to accomplish the common mission.

6. Only partner with someone who has the human compassion gene. Compassionate leaders motivate and inspire their employees to reach beyond their own self imposed limitations.

*Actually they’re not highly guarded &#151 they are printed on a t-shirt celebrating the company’s 30 year anniversary.

More: “Miles Nadal: MDC Has Done Digital Better Than All Others”

MDC Partners continues to stay in the news as the network’s New York-based multicultural shop Adrenalina has hired five staffers including Edwin Hincapie, Angela Renfroe, Paola Ortega, Jacob Lake and Regina Mojica.

Effective immediately, Hincapie will take on the title of senior account director, consumer engagement + business development; Renfroe joins as director, talent; Ortega has signed on as director, action marketing; Lake assumes the role of something called cognitive and cultural anthropologist and Mojica will serve as brand leader on the Tecate account.

All parties involved bring some agency background with them as Hincapie joins Adrenalina from Momentum Worldwide, where he worked on the multicultural business for Verizon. Renfroe spent nine years at PMI, where she provided HR services to employer clients, including KBS+P, Porter Novelli and DDB Needham Worldwide. Ortega was previously an account director at McCann Erickson, Mexico City and an account supervisor at BBDO Mexico City on the Frito-Lay business. Meanwhile, Lake was formerly a strategist at The Martin Agency and worked on the Wal-Mart account while Mojica was an account executive at New York’s Bromley Communications.

More: “MDC’s Adrenalina Adds Four New Creatives”