-And now, a spec ad for Dior Homme that features a Ford model. That Hansel is so hot right now.

- Scripps Health has tapped New York-based shop DeVito/Verdi West to serve as its AOR for an integrated program that includes branding, creative development and traditional and digital media campaigns.

-TBWA appointed 10-year vet Robert Harwood-Matthews  as president of its New York office.

-Target and Walmart go toe-to-toe in the cheapest battle. link

-Former Dentsu America chief exec Will Travis has joined up with Sid Lee’s new New York outpost as senior partner and USA president.

-Here are your 2012 MIXX Awards finalists. link

We’ve heard from sources that Dentsu America CEO Will Travis was let go by the agency this week. No specifics were given, but his departure comes just two weeks after creative director Paul Laffy left the agency. If you remember, Travis recently went on a 3,500-mile bike race through the Andes and documented his adventures for AgencySpy.

The now-former chief exec spent the last year-plus as CEO and nearly two-and-a-half years in total at Dentsu. Prior to that, he was at ATTIK for just about a decade. Well, I guess now we know why our proposed drinks meetup never came to fruition.

Just before New Year’s, we brought you up to speed on the adventures of Dentsu America CEO Will Travis, who was about to take part in a 3,500-mile bike race through the Andes known as the Dakar Rally. Well, the race is over and now that he’s shaken the rust off and is back to work in New York, Travis is ready to tell the inspirational tale of his arduous 12-day trek. Without any further ado, take it away, Will.

The Dakar is known as the toughest overland race in the world and this year was to be no exception. Had I have known four people would die, only 1/3rd of my team would complete the distance and I’d be riding 7,200km, not 5,000km in 11 days, across thick sand and gravel, in temperatures bouncing from -5 to 42degree C, I’d have given signing up for this trip a real second thought, but I didn’t and so here’s my story.

Every two years, I try and break away from the creative industry bubble to absorb the real world out there, a world of adventure, real risk and real people, waking myself back up into a perspective that’s in balance and re-tuned for life. Cycling 500miles across Alaska, summiting the highest peaks of Antarctica and Europe, motorcycling 4,000km at 18,000ft through Himalayas, out of cage diving with Great Whites and now this, the toughest of my trips, riding The Dakar from Buenos Aires over the Andes to the Chilean coast and back. OK, so now I sound like a real nut, so I better get on with sharing my experience.

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-As part of its brand overhaul, Chevys Fresh Mex tapped three Bay Area agencies for marketing duties. link

-Toronto agency John St.’s AOTY shortlist video submission is pure awesome. link

-Machete himself, Danny Trejo, stars in a new Lipton Brisk ad produced and directed by Mekanism (above).

-Razorfish launched a Super Bowl mobile campaign for Coors Light. link

-Congrats, American Airlines. You topped a list of the 15 most hated companies of 2010. link

-O&M/Bozell alum Patricia Cunningham has joined the Halo Group as SVP/client services.

-SKIL Power Tools named the Milwaukee office of Cramer-Krasselt its AOR. C-K will handle both creative and media buying/planning.

-CP+B hired sudden star, “Golden Voice” and soon-to-be Cleveland Cavaliers employee, Ted Williams for VO work on a Kraft Mac n’ Cheese spot. link

-Arnold NY was named AOR for hummus brand Tribe and food company, Veggie Patch.

-In case you missed our post about Dentsu America CEO Will Travis‘s bike race adventure, you can also keep tabs on his progress via his blog. link

With breaking news dribbling in like molasses this week, it’s refreshing to get a human interest story that concerns someone within the industry. Will Travis loves his extreme sports it appears and having spent his first full year as CEO of Dentsu America, the exec is celebrating by taking part in what is known as the Dakar Rally, a 3,500-mile race through the Andes that begins and ends in Buenos Aires.

Travis’s mode of hi-speed transportation will be a BMW 1200 GS Adventure motorcycle, that will hopefully serve him and his Raw Hyde team well through the 12-day trek, where contestants bike through dunes, deserts and mountains at a pace of 300 miles a day. We sure as hell wouldn’t do it, so good on you Will. As for background, Travis has been with Dentsu for two-and-a-half  years, is a board member of Promax BDA and spent over 10 years at ATTIK, where he ultimately ended up as president. You can follow his Dakar Rally exploits here.