Quaker and O&M part ways
The toronto and Montreal offices of Ogilvy & Mather have resigned their portions of the Quaker Oats account as a result of the agency consolidation of Kraft General Foods late last year when o&m was awarded kgf’s adult cereals business.
Lowell Lunden, Quaker manager of marketing services, says he is assessing the advertising needs for that part of the business before holding a review.
Lunden says there is no need to rush the process since campaigns for the brands handled by o&m are currently on-air.
o&m was responsible for English- and French-language advertising for Harvest Crunch and Instant Quaker Oatmeal cereals.
Vickers & Benson of Toronto holds the balance of the business.
Blue Cross launches hunt
Blue Cross of Ontario is reviewing agencies for its $3-million account after splitting with agency of three years, Ambrose Carr Linton Kelly of Toronto.
Sharon McMinn, of Blue Cross marketing services, says the company is limiting the number of agencies taking part in the review.
McMinn says Blue Cross is being selective about the agencies involved and is not asking for submissions.
Hershey promotions pool
Hershey Canada is discontinuing the use of an agency-of-record for promotions and instead has set up a pool of three preferred promotion agencies for its entire stable of chocolate bars and confectionery items which includes Lifesavers and Twizzlers.
The decision was made after a lengthy review and a series of project assignments. Hershey is not releasing the names of the agencies in the pool.
Stacia Rubinovich, Hershey marketing manager, says the company has worked with an a-o-r for a few years but prefers the control, efficiency and confidentiality of a project system.
Rubinovich says the three firms will not be required to compete with each other for each project but will receive assignments according to their strengths and will be evaluated after each project.
Suzuki on the move
Suzuki Canada and Harrod & Mirlin of Toronto went their separate ways earlier this month after nearly two years.
h&m previously handled the business from 1987-89.
Mike Kurnik, Suzuki national advertising manager, says there will be no review. Kurnik is talking to another agency and hopes to make an announcement at the end of the month.
He says he is looking for a new agency that wants to be a partner and learn the business.
New account for Taxi
Belair Insurance of Montreal has chosen Taxi to handle its English- and French-language advertising after a review of Montreal agencies and their Toronto counterparts.
The account, estimated to be under $1 million, had been with PALM Publicite Marketing of Montreal for the past 12 years.
On the short-list were palm, with Robins Sharpe of Toronto; Cossette Communication-Marketing; and Publicite Martin teamed up with Vickers & Benson of Toronto.
Belair has operated in Quebec since 1954 and in New Brunswick for 12 years.
The company’s agency requirements changed with the acquisition of Constitution Insurance Company of Canada in 1992, which allowed it to also expand its operations into Ontario.
Belair has 44 offices selling automobile and home insurance.
Borland goes FCB Direct
Toronto-based Borland Canada, maker of software products such as Quattro Pro and dBase, has ended its search for a direct marketing agency to handle Quebec with its choice of FCB Direct.
Grey Direct and JWT Direct were also on the short-list for the account, budgeted in the seven figures.
Bev Buckton, Borland’s marketing communications manager, says there are no plans as yet to change the way English-language direct marketing is handled.
That assignment, along with advertising duties, is with the newly opened Toronto office of San Francisco-based Cohn & Wells, the agency used by parent company Borland International.
Borland Canada has been using The Cohen Group of Richmond Hill, Ont. to handle Canadian adaptation of u.s. creative.
Encore for Goodgoll Curtis
Ontario Place, Toronto’s waterfront leisure and entertainment showcase, has reappointed Goodgoll Curtis of Toronto as its ad agency for a three-year term.
The annual budget is $1.3 million.
Also on the short-list were Toronto agencies Freeman Rodgers Battaglia, Marbury Advertising, Padulo Integrated and Vickers & Benson.
Quaker State status quo
Phil Clarke, marketing manager for Quaker State of Burlington, Ont., says meetings have been held on the subject but there are no plans as yet to align the Canadian advertising account with the new agency chosen by Quaker State in the u.s.
Earlier this month in the u.s., the motor oil company switched its account to Chiat/Day in Venice, Calif. from Grey Advertising, New York. In Canada, the business is with Grey Advertising in Toronto, which has been adapting creative provided by its New York office.
Michelin with DDB Needham
Michelin Tires Canada has moved its English-language creative assignment to DDB Needham, Toronto as part of a North American alignment of the business.
The company’s tire brands include Uniroyal, B.F. Goodrich and Michelin.
PALM Publicite of Montreal, which handled all of Michelin’s Canadian advertising since 1987, retains the French-language portion of the account.
Media buying responsibilities stay with the Montreal office of Media Buying Services.
Air France consolidates
Air France has consolidated its Canadian advertising assignment, estimated at $800,000, with RTA Pub in Montreal.
rta has been handling the French-language account for a year, while English advertising has come from Robins Sharpe of Toronto.
Air France has its Canadian headquarters in Montreal and wanted advertising handled closer to home.
Revlon goes to Prism
After six years with Foster Advertising, Revlon Canada has moved over to Prism Advertising of Toronto.
Revlon broke new media ground while with Foster. The agency took advertising for the cosmetic company into areas previously thought of as male bastions, baseball parks in Toronto and Montreal, with scoreboard advertising and seventh-inning stretch sponsorship.
