Agency Spy

Thank gawd! It’s taken me forever to find a copy of this ad by Ogilvy for Cisco and their Human Network campaign. I could only find the Italian dub, but here’s the gist: a skateboard executive sends around a prototype of a new board to a bunch of skate rats. The skaters send back pictures of alterations like shortening the board, adding better wheels and then, large design elements. The executive goes to his board and presents this totally different prototype. Everyone is excited, thrilled even. Why? Because they got a board completely designed for them, for free using the human network! They’ve saved themselves hundreds of thousands of dollars by not releasing their original prototype. Plus, they don’t have to pay a dime to the actual creatives - the skaters themselves. Sweet!

Yes, I understand the ad is about the power of the Cisco Human Network, collaboration and how it transforms your business. Some of the other spots aren’t bad, but this one - it’s a bit of a shit, ain’t it? Call me sensitive, but way to alienate every creative who has ever had some massive corporation steal their idea, but could also use the brand’s human network to connect with their collective, pitch concepts and manage their freelance career. These people are everywhere; creative class and all that. Check out the website You Thought We Wouldn’t Notice as a primer.

RMG Connect, JWT’s “below the line” (digital, CRM, DM, etc.) partner agency has lost its second EMEA CEO in less than 18 months.

Linda Jackson seemingly took a big step down in her career arc to leave London last month and take over as the new General Director of OgilvyOne Mexico (her predecessor at RMG, Nelly Andersen, left RMG to return to her prior place of employment, OgilvyOne, back in October 2006 and is now an EVP, Global Brands at OgilvyOne Worldwide out of the London office.)

RMG Connect, particularly in the London office, has had mass defections of both staff & clients prior to, and during, Jackson’s reign at the shop — so perhaps it is not a massive surprise.

But given the fact that prior to the recent economic downturn, there was a vast amount of money to be made in the “BTL” area over the past couple of years — especially in the UK market — and RMG did not have much luck in either winning or retaining their current client base (they lost their accounts at Sky, Vodafone, etc.)

Of course, they still retain the HSBC business (in conjunction with JWT) — so the office meal ticket is safe for the time being — but Tim Hipperson, the UK CEO, and Philip Greenfield, RMG Connect’s Global CEO (who is listed on their website at the current contact for the EMEA operation) cannot be feeling too happy at the moment.

Digital. The conversation continues.

AdWeak is reporting today about the shift in media buying to focus on digital and the upcoming American Association of Advertising Agencies’ media conference, “Digital Changes Everything.”

“A lot more decisions are starting with the media strategy as opposed to starting with the messaging,” said Antony Young, president of Optimedia U.S. “Digital has put a big fat wedge in the way we have to approach communication in campaigns.”

Meanwhile, March 11th is the 4th Annual “Verge – Ogilvy Digital Summit.” The one day event, which someone from Agency Spy will be live blogging, features journalists, analysts, technologists, marketers, publishers, content creators and key Ogilvy leaders and clients, presenting engaging and provoking information all things digital. This year the roster includes:

George Bodenheimer, President ESPN and ABC Sports
Kevin Liles, EVP, Warner Music Group
Ben Silverman, Co-Chairman NBC Entertainment & NBC Universal Television Studio
Shelly Lazarus, Chairman & CEO Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide
Martin Nisenholtz, SVP Digital Operations, The New York Times Company
Scott Kurnit, Chairman, Kurnit Inc, Founder, About.com
Mark Kvamme, Partner, Sequoia Capital
Laura Klauberg, VP, Global Media, Unilever
John Battelle, Founder & Chairman, Federated Media
Nick Denton, Publisher, Gawker Meida

DraftFCB is looking to bolster its data and analytics programs. AdWeak is reporting that this is due to a “growing demand among clients such as Citi and CA and has recruited OgilvyOne’s Ira Helf to run it.”

Ira used to be the Managing Director of Marketing Analytics at OgilvyOne. His new title at DraftFCB is executive director data and analytics.
Helf, 55, is an analytics man. He was VP at Claritas, The Nielsen Company; a senior analyst at IRI and a department manager at CACI with a degree from Stanford (statistics, marketing, mathematics). At Draft, Helf will report to one time colleague Peter DeNunzio, former general manager of OgilvyOne.

“The DraftFCB model is built on extracting consumer insights through data and the demand for our ability to analyze [such data], has never been greater,” DeNunzio said. DraftFCB is alway touting their analytics program, since they are a direct marketing shop at heart. Helf will direct 20 to 30 strategists and technologists with growth sounding like a definite.

Hey, not a bad move for Draft. The agency should focus on the data, because the creative thing just isn’t their strong suit.

“I personally think there is an opportunity for optimism,” said John Osborn, president-CEO of BBDO New York. Osborn was talking about the recession during his speech at Davos. Oddly, he pointed to Condi’s opening statements as a sign of good cheer about the downturn in the economy. “The U.S. economy is resilient, its structure is sound and its long-term economic fundamentals are healthy,” Rice said in her speech. Yeah. You’re going to believe Condi? Really?

Osborn also said that BBDO’s clients have yet to cut back their marketing budgets or plans. “I’m not seeing any clients pulling back. They are still launching new campaigns and rolling out new products. Clients who continue to invest during these times will succeed in the long haul.”

That’s one way to handle the recession. Get a megaphone and scream, “Keep giving us cash and it’s all going to be okay!” Seriously. We’re not kidding.

He also has some advice for other agencies to keep that money pump flowing: “We have to be careful about how we spend, be selective about where we spend and make sure that all marketing activity has a sense of purpose and impacts behavior change.”

Did you hear that? No more over billing the client on the production hours. Meanwhile, other folks like Michelle Bottomley, COO of Ogilvy New York, are saying that yes, the ship is still upright and that brands are focusing on more programs with serious ROI. Hell, they should be focused on that anyway.

The video above is from Osborn’s turn around Davos in 2007.

[source]

Ogilvy is responsible for this Valentine’s Day video for Honey Bunches Of Oats. It’s reminds us a bit of Dick in a Box, but you know - less cock.

The associated site is I Made You Breakfast In Bed where you can find out about more about the band, Dawns Early Knight’s two members - Maurice and Derek.

The one and only George Parker reported that Ogilvy New York is headed for a 10-15% layoff tomorrow.

We hear that Parker’s number is a bit high, but yeah, it’s happening. The reason? Apparently, WE HEAR THAT… Ogilvy is getting ready to announce a whole new structure to help them cope with the digital-heavy environment we now live in. We can’t wait to hear what that is going to look like and it’s nice to see that Ogilvy is making some changes, isn’t it? Everyone needs to adapt and hell… sometimes that means lay-offs. Sorry gang. Sorry.

When we used to have comments (SWEAR THEY ARE COMING BACK), many of you rightfully pointed out that lay-offs are the nature of the beast. Ogilvy New York? It just so happens that you guys are next on the chopping block.

Financial-services firm Fortis has placed its estimated $200 million global creative account with Group’s Grey Worldwide. Our mouths almost hit the floor, too. Then we remembered what one very wise agency owner once told us - Grey is not about innovation or creativity. The agency is all about maintaining its clients presence in the public space; keeping the ship upright, not moving forward and they do a great job at it. Or, something like that anyway. It’s true, too.

Fortis had 10 agencies bidding for the account with the final three being Grey, WPP sibling Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide and Publicis Groupe’s Leo Burnett Worldwide.

Grey’s chairman-CEO Jim Heekin, told AdAge that: “This win demonstrates that in a year of change and challenges, we are on the path to growth.”  Sure.

Read More:  What’s The Upside Of Working At Grey

Ogilvy’s CFO, John Lanaway is leaving to join Interpublic as of November 1st. Lanaway is going to…. OMG! McCann? Seriously…. really? It’s confirmed, folks. We hear that… he was recruited by Gary Lee, Ogilvy’s former CFO for North America who is now at McCann.

Okay, so keep paying attention. Lanaway took Lee’s role at Ogilvy when Gary went to McCann and now, Lee is bringing him back over. Is this some sort of co-dependent relationship? How much cash does McCann have to lay out to get someone to take up space on their death star?

Anyway, McCann needs to start stealing creatives or is it that the creatives are being stifled by over bearing, scared out of their mind managers? Hmm…. Their Applebee’s work is totally phoned-in. They make blind, stupid large scale creative mistakes like this one. And if you ask us, they’re not doing justice to one of their major clients, L’Oreal. Need some evidence? Try here and here.

Plus, Lanaway’s departure comes right quickly on the heels of new Google employee Andy Berndt, who was Ogilvy’s Managing Director and Co-President. Read More Here. While we understand jumping ship for Google, we do not, we repeat, do not understand departing for McCann.

Read More: Droga5 Poaches Bodies From Saatchi 

Major League Baseball Charities, in partnership with The Advertising Council, today launched a national public service advertising (PSA) campaign entitled “Welcome Back Veterans.” The work was done pro bono by Ogilvy & Mather. Featuring a voice over by Tom Hanks, the first spot debuted during game three of The World Series. Despite the Red Sox having managed to win - again! - the commercials and radio PSAs will continue to receive air time.

“Major League Baseball has a long and proud history of supporting our troops and for generations baseball has undertaken patriotic activities to acknowledge veterans and current members of the military who serve and have served our country,” said Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig.

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) worked with MLB and the Ad Council in the development of the spots to address some of the serious reintegration issues suffered by vets such as unemployment and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, upon their return.

Did you see the Ken Burns documentary ‘The War?’ Things were different during the bleak days of WWII. The nation pulled together with everyone suffering just a little bit for a war that was widely considered worthwhile. The imagery of strangers welcoming home “the boys and girls” from overseas (and we’re not just talking about D-Day) nearly brought us to tears. Whether or not you think the war is just, the members of our armed forces are just “doing their jobs.” And, what crazy, hard, unbelievably taxing jobs they are. Alright. We’re done inserting our views. Let’s just say we’re all for doing whatever one can to help any solider or Marine.