-Gotham managing partner, director of strategy and innovation Alan Snitow is reuniting with old cohort Peter McGuinness as the former is joining DDB Chicago in the newly created role of EVP, director of integration.

-R/GA is behind a new Pinterest/Instagram effort to help build some social media buzz around Grey Goose Cherry Noir. link; link

-Bi-coastal/international production company Station Film signed director Gabriel Olson for US representation.

-The calendar for Advertising Week 2012 is now up and running. link

-Conan O’Brien is hosting the Ad Council’s 59^th Annual Public Service Award Dinner, which takes place Nov. 14 at the Waldorf-Astoria. link

-Saatchi & Saatchi Cape Town emphasizes that sneezing does indeed suck in a new campaign for PharmaDynamics’ Texa Allergy product (one spot above; more here and here).

Well, we have to say this is up there on the list when it comes to shortest agency stints, especially in terms of high-level positions. Barely three-and-a-half months after signing on at Ogilvy as senior partner, MD in its planning department, John Kottmann has packed his bags and moved to Chicago to join DDB as chief strategy officer. In a statement, DDB Chicago CEO Peter McGuinness offers the usual lathering, saying, “In an industry that’s increasingly about ‘cool and shiny’ downstream tactics and channels, John’s about all that, plus he’s about upstream business and brand-building ideas.  Moreover, he’s got the gravitas and intelligence to not only explain them, but sell them.”

During his rather brief stay at Ogilvy, Kottmann specifically worked on new business planning as well as notable accounts including AmEx and Gap. Prior to Ogilvy, Kottmann spent the majority of his career at McCann, where he last served as EVP/CSO and helped the agency win the U.S. Army account back in 2005 and also served as global planning director on MasterCard during his run.

Twenty-year IPG vet Peter McGuinness is splitting for rival holding company Omnicom and joining DDB Chicago as president/CEO. McGuinness, who has spent the last three years in the same post at NYC-based Gotham, replaces Rick Carpenter, who parted ways with DDB last December to “begin the next phase” of his career. It’s a homecoming of sorts for the new DDB Chicago president/CEO, who says in a statement, “Chicago is where I was born so it’s a bit of a homecoming, and it’s at the heart of DDB.  I can’t wait to bring some heat to the windy city.”

During his two decades at IPG, McGuinness was named EVP/worldwide account director at McCann Worldgroup before he turned 30, eventually playing a pivotal role in bringing MasterCard’s “Priceless” campaign to the masses. By the time he hit 35, the exec was named regional director, EMEA for IPG’s Momentum and was eventually inducted into the AAF Advertising Hall of Achievement two years ago.

In his new role, McGuinness will work alongside DDB Chicago’s CCO Ewan Paterson, who has been on somewhat of a hiring streak as of late.

Gotham NYC has been beefing up the ol’ artillery by adding four new creatives and most recently being named AOR for Denny’s, adding to clients including the likes of: Hitachi, Yellowbook, Maybelline, Best Western, Newman’s Own, Chobani and Wedgwood Waterford.

The IPG-owned agency’s first new creative coming aboard as group creative director is Anthony “Mossy” Moss, formerly a senior copywriter at Crispin Porter + Bogusky in Boulder, where he worked on Burger King, Microsoft, Coke Zero, and American Express. Mossy will partner with group creative director, Reid Miller, another recent Gotham hire. Together they will be focusing their immediate efforts on the Denny’s, Yellowbook and Best Western accounts.

Also joining the creative team as associate creative dirctor/art director is Natalie Chambers. Natalie’s brand experience includes work Clorox, Pizza Hut, Green Works and McDonalds.  She will work on clients across the board. Coming on as a copywriter is Evan Maranca.  Evan was a freelance copywriter for Wongdoody on Alaska Airlines and T-mobile, and a student at The Creative Circus.

Last but not least, coming on board from DDB Worldwide where he was a broadcast and digital producer, is Matt Nowak. He joins Gotham as inegrated producer, working across all agency accounts.

Peter McGuinness, chairman/CEO of Gotham, says in a statement, “Given the health of the agency we are able to continue evolve and invest, It’s great to be in a position to invest in our creative product, adding even more value to our clients and making us more competitive in the market.”

More: Denny’s Handed to Gotham