Publicis

We’ll spare you the long-winded tale of Publicis killing its digital-focused Modem USA brand, as our pal Zach Rodgers over at ClickZ has done it already. Let’s just say that in the wake of the downward spiral, here are some more “departures” from the agency that include senior analyst, marketing analytics Josh Goldfischer, marketing manager Mike Bollinger (who spent nearly 18 months at PM) and office manager Jason Springer (18 months at PM as well) have all left what some are deeming a “sinking ship.”

Update: As expected, the Publicis Modem camp wants to clarify things, telling us, “We’ve been operationally integrating Publicis Modem under a single leadership on an office-by-office basis, as digital becomes more foundational to every aspect of our business.  As a result, we don’t have plans to replace the President of Publicis Modem USA role. In NY, Hyo Yeon, Managing Director, Publicis Modem NY, is the senior client lead on digital. JP [Maheu] is Worldwide CEO of Publicis Modem and continues in that role. Publicis Modem also remains as specialist digital agency for clients who are seeking a pure-play digital agency.”

We’ve received multiple tips over the last 24 hours that Publicis Modem president Dani Nadel is stepping down. From what we hear, Nadel’s last day is today and she’s heading to Scholastic, though we’re checking with all parties on this matter. Nadel has been part of the Modem mix for six years, and has served as president for nearly four, seeing the agency through its transition from Modem Media to Publicis Modem in 2007. Prior to that, she spent 15 years at Digitas, which was the parent company at Modem Media and where she help posts including SVP, relationship lead. Direct inquiries to Nadel have gone unanswered, but we’ll let you know when we get more clarification on the matter.

Update: Nadel is in fact leaving Publicis Modem and moving on. Here’s a statement from the agency: “Dani has taken a position at Scholastic. She has been a great team player over the years, and we wish her well as she moves to the client side. This is a perfect position for Dani, it plays on all her strengths. As we bring Publicis NY and Publicis Modem NY operationally together, the regional role Dani had will no longer be needed.”

Just minutes after we asked if Michael Aubrey and Tony Effik were still at Publicis Modem (they’re not), we received a handful of tips to follow up our post which gave us an odd sense of deja vu and informed us the pair were not alone. Sigh, more realigning we suppose, but this one (and yes, it seems like it’s accurate for the most part) takes the cake: “Modem NY has involuntarily lost Michael Aubrey, Tony Effik, David Boxser, Jessie Perlin, Lindsay Kaplan, Ashton Moskowitz, Jonathan Goldberg, Erick Gaston, Vina Lam, [VP/ACD] Jeff Prybolsky, Jane Barandes. One lonely ACD copywriter is the highest level creative on the entire General Mills business outside of Patrick Clarke. There is literally no one running the project management department nor the technology / flash department.”

You know, we hate getting runarounds and this is just the case regarding two Publicis Modem executives named Michael Aubrey and Tony Effik, who a few tipsters have been telling us since Monday are no longer with the agency. Aubrey served as VP, director of marketing at PM for four years (and spent nearly 10 years at McCann) while Effik returned to the agency after spending some time spent teaching at Miami Ad School’s UK branch and working with the IAB. Prior to that, Effik spent four years as CSO at Publicis Modem Multiple direct calls have been left unanswered or maybe they were just out to lunch. We’ll keep you posted.

San Francisco-based Publicis & Hal Riney, or as it’s known now, Riney, is still getting adjusted with its Publicis Modem alignment (remember June?), and as a result, there were some more cuts made. Want clarification? Here goes some a comment from the agency’s top brass that was sent to us:

“We’ve been making ongoing strategic reductions – primarily related to bringing Riney and Modem together. We’re eliminating some roles that weren’t funded by client business, and adding others designed to better serve the new agency structure. By the end of the month, we’ll have the two companies together in one space, operating as one agency – with all the right people in the right jobs. We’re simultaneously adding and reducing people, as we work toward a single organization that’s highly digitally-literate. With that, one could call it a re-alignment.”

It feels like it’s been fairly quiet on the Publicis Modem front this summer, don’t it? Well, while we have nothing major to report on the level of that activity-filled spring period of, um “upgrading,” sources familiar with the matter confirm that a handful of staffers have just been let go at PM’s New York office. We’ve been told that the cuts primarily affect those in account management and our sources add that this is part of Publicis Modem’s “continuing effort to rebalance capabilities, with a focus on bolstering creative and tech.”

The talks reported by AdAge last week are over and now, Publicis Groupe continues its acquisition spree with the news that it’s immediately taken a 51 percent stake in New York-based infomercial makers Big Fuel, which of course is GM and now T-Mobile’s social media AOR.

With the move, Big Fuel will now be housed within Publicis Groupe’s VivaKi unit to serve as a social media hub/resource for fellow VivaKi shops Digitas, Razorfish, Starcom MediaVest Group and Zenith Optimedia. Big Fuel CEO Jon Bond, who will remain on board along with cohorts Avi Savar (founder/CCO) and COO/managing partner Mike McGraw, says of the deal, “”Now that social is revolutionizing global marketing, this partnership gives the agency and its clients scale, impact, and a network around the world.”

According to agency figures, Big Fuel has grown from 30 to 170 employees in 18 months. Its new parent, Publicis Groupe, will have the opportunity to increase its stake in BF to 100 percent in 2014.

There are industry secrets us laymen will always have questions about.  For filmmakers, how do you make it look like one actor is playing twins?  For McDonald’s employees, what exactly is in your special sauce?  And for laundresses, where the heck are all my socks?

I have to admit, how Toyota thermal tests their cars during development isn’t high on my list of curiosities.  Though I suppose it’s always good to know.   Aussie agency Publicis Mojo’s latest spot for Toyota shows a procession of cars on a track, in a giant warehouse, being alternately frozen and heat-blasted by machines resembling an X-treme carwash set-up.

“During development, we’ll thermal test a car to see how every part of it reacts when pushed to its limits,” says the Aussie voiceover.  ”It may seem excessive, but that’s how we test for quality.  That’s what makes it a Toyota.”

I often think of the Prius as the emblem of my generation: my parents were the first to baby-proof their houses, and my friends and I are the first to buy hybrid cars.  But, I wonder if the company is still fighting to recover from last year’s bad press amidst rumors of slipping standards and poor quality production. I get it, when we think Toyota, they want us to think quality, hence the technician in the Eskimo suit and vehicle-rotisserie. But, do they also want us to to think heavy metal because they are playing Nazareth in the background? Toyotas are sensible. They’re just not that rock and roll. Credits after the jump.

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Sources familiar with the matter confirm that Publicis Seattle has cut some staff–no numbers revealed, but it affects all departments– as part of  a “realignment” thanks to a “shifting [of] business needs and requests from client base.”  It’s been a few months since AdAge reported that Publicis was put in an awkward position because of its proposed merger with AT&T and our sources say that Publicis Seattle is “just being prudent and staying leaner until the path is clear on T-Mobile.” The Seattle branch’s work, which we’ve covered a few times over, has culminated into the spots starring the lovely Carly Foulkes that have flooded the NBA playoffs.

In addition, we’ve been told that Seattle hasn’t lost any accounts, but has come to “the end on a couple of web development projects and a couple of longer-term projects are on hold.”

Never had Hahn beer? Well, it’s apparently quite a big deal in Australia, where it’s been in business for 25 years.

This new TV spot for Hahn Superdry comes from Aussie agency Publicis Mojo and is directed by Emmy-winner Tom Kuntz. Yes, that Tom Kuntz, who’s recently been behind lens for award-winning campaigns for Old Spice and Skittles. So, if you notice a little Kuntz’ absurd humor and cry “ripoff,” you shut your trap, you hear?

Q: How do you make Superdry beer? A: With a super factory. The director who’s helped define an age of television advertising where going viral is as important as making something that looks whimsical on an HDTV just doesn’t seem to miss, and he hits it out of the park yet again. So, while you might never have heard of Hahn beer before in the states, you will soon. Credits after the jump.

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