Grey Goes To Hong Kong
April 21, 2008
Grey Worldwide has won the Honk Kong Tourism board account. The agency snagged a three-year contract covering 18 global markets, which Adweek is estimating to be in the $50 million value range. WPP’s MindShare will handle planning and buying on the business.
Sorry, but Grey landing this one causes a chuckle to tickle my throat. Hong Kong is cemented in many minds as a mover and shaker, idea, creativity and savvy business oriented republic in comparison to China or well, lots of places. So, how is it that death star agency Grey landed the account? Hmmm… Their last agency of record was DraftFCB, so maybe the board is blinded by the multiple worldwide offices? If that’s the case, then in three years the tourism board will be signing up with McCann.
April 21, 2008 at 8:31 pm
They’ll probably reanimate Mitch Mousallem to head things up.
April 21, 2008 at 8:39 pm
Whether in the U.S. or abroad, tourism accounts tend to be bureaucratic nightmares where like 5 million people have to give their sign-off on everything, and everyone has a political axe to grind. That probably why they chose a milquetoast like Grey.
April 21, 2008 at 10:26 pm
Studio Maven is generally one of the smartest and wittiest around BUT in this case, no one who currently works at Grey today even knows Mitch Mousallem. I have no love for the old Grey, god knows, they were as corrupt as they could get away with…but the new guys aren’t so bad…Grey got the business because they actually understand the market they’re promoting…and they’ve had a strong presence there for longer than most…
April 21, 2008 at 11:38 pm
The new guys are old dinosaurs
April 22, 2008 at 1:18 am
new hotshot in HK and India tourism work.
April 22, 2008 at 3:30 pm
Jacsun: Admittedly, there are some dinosaurs scattered around, yet truly some are not. Tor, the new creative director at Grey NY is very good. Those e-Trade ads were excellent. Tim Mellors is also extremely talented.
April 22, 2008 at 8:54 pm
I don’t hate the peeps, I just hate the creeps. Guys like that ruined a golden egg with their thievery. Mitch cost me 25 large (conservatively) and I had a friend who was studio manager at one of Grey’s offshoots a year or so ago. For only 80 grand they had the guy doing circus tricks, his crackberry would glow like kryptonite when we were out drinkin’ (that’s sacrilege). They paid $35 hour freelance to studio people and they had to know the works. That may seem like a lot to the uninformed, but when you factor in medical, transportation, rent, taxes et al, that ain’t much in NYC. Plus the studio charged clients $175 an hour. A good freelancer should get $45-50, that’s what I pay. I harbor no enmity towards all the many talented, fine individuals out there. Just want to be paid fairly.
April 23, 2008 at 2:33 am
just remember Karma.
she’s swift, sharp and lethal.
the thieves will rot painfully, and the newbies hopefully will put a shine on that old lady.