Goodyear Canada and McCann-Erickson Advertising have severed ties after five years.
The account is valued at more than $15 million.
Ian McIntosh, Goodyear general manager consumer marketing, says the company was not dissatisfied with its advertising or the people, but adds its needs are changing and a new type of agency relationship is required.
Goodyear makes tires and operates a chain of more than 700 franchised, corporate-owned and dealer-run tire and tune-up locations across Canada.
React quickly
McIntosh says because of the retail component, the company needs to react quickly to the market.
Over the next few months, he will be establishing a marketing strategy for the company and developing a pre-selected list of agencies for review.
He will not be accepting solicitations.
Two key people on the Goodyear business recently left McCann-Erickson, hampering the agency’s bid to restructure its working relationship with the client.
Resignations
Mike Collins, vice-president group creative director, moved to Foote Cone Belding in April, and earlier this month, Mark Weisbarth, vice-president account director, resigned.
Weisbarth worked on Goodyear while at Foster and moved to McCann-Erickson with the account in 1988 as part of the merger of the two agencies.
Goodyear’s advertising has been notable for its humorous broadcast campaign, starring California-based actor Tom Sharpe, which was introduced in 1991 under then creative director Joan MacArthur.
Goodyear Canada is solely owned by its u.s. parent, Goodyear Tire and Rubber, of Akron, Ohio, which bought the 40% of the Canadian company it did not own at its annual general meeting held earlier this month.
