Chrysler Canada has reshuffled its agency assignments, with the biggest hit being taken by former Jeep/Eagle agency Bozell Palmer Bonner.
The changes, which take effect June 1, will see McKim Baker Lovick /BBDO of Toronto take on the role of English-language agency-of-record and creative agency for all English-language national and dealer brand advertising.
BCP French A-O-R
As well, BCP Strategy-Creativity will be French-language a-o-r and corporate creative agency.
The consolidation of Canadian media buying and planning falls into line with a move by parent company Chrysler, of Highland Park, Mich.
Last May, the company put its US$400-million media buying and planning business in the hands of BBDO North America.
Media buying in Canada was previously handled by each of Chrysler’s four creative agencies, which also include Bozell Palmer Bonner and PNMD/ Publitel, bbdo’s Quebec affiliate.
PNMB/Publitel is responsible for account and creative services for dealer advertising, including the Jeep/Eagle business that was previously with Vice-Versa Services.
Bozell Palmer Bonner goes from having the entire Jeep/Eagle advertising account to handling only the division’s catalogues.
Bozell took over the Jeep/ Eagle business just last October when parent company Chrysler moved responsibility for that division’s North American US$135-million advertising account to Bozell Worldwide from cme-khbb.
Bozell Worldwide already had the Chrysler business in 26 countries, and Jeep/Eagle in most markets outside North America.
Bought agencies
As part of that move, Bozell also bought three of cme-khbb’s full-service agencies – in Windsor, Ont., Detroit and Los Angeles – and 26 field offices.
About 280 cme-khbb staff working on the Jeep/Eagle business were also taken on by Bozell, including nine Toronto employees who were divided between Bozell’s Toronto and Windsor offices.
In the u.s., bbdo has the creative assignment for Dodge and Dodge Trucks, while Bozell Worldwide holds the balance of the business.
