1. Nick Bell received a £3 million "package" from Leo Burnett
to prevent him defecting to Lowe Lintas. There's no doubt that a lot of
dosh was offered because a) Bell looked smug and b) Burnett relocated
his partner, Mark Tutssell, to Chicago, thus saving a packet on the
London salary bill.
2. WCRS to merge with Partners BDDH. This rumour was doing the rounds
all year, but reached a crescendo when Partners lost its Transport for
London and Mercedes business in October. Sightings of Partners' Nigel
Long having deep and meaningful lunches with WCRS's Stephen Woodford
also fed the rumour mill.
3. Procter & Gamble is putting pressure on Grey's Ed Meyer to sell to
Bcom3 and merge Grey with D'Arcy. Neat fit for both networks'
all-important Mars and P&G accounts.
4. Another Grey gem: Grey has entered a secret deal to be taken over by
Publicis. A formal announcement, gossips predict, by spring 2002.
5. TBWA/London's Trevor Beattie sent tremors through the industry when
he was quoted on Campaign's front page, upon the departure of Nigel
Roberts and Paul Belford, saying: "I will be replacing them with the
best creative team in London, who I am talking to at the moment and will
be hiring imminently." Privately, Beattie is said to have admitted that
he made it up to annoy Belford and Roberts.
6. Rooney Carruthers would take the creative helm at J. Walter Thompson,
following the agency's appointment of his former boss in San Francisco,
Simon Bolton, as chief executive. In fact, Bolton has left the agency's
creative department, headed by Jaspar Shelbourne, well alone.
7. "There's a £10 million retailer at the AAR," was heard at
Campaign for three months. The rumour escalated out of all proportion
because it came when new-business directors were pulling their hair out
looking for non-existent leads. It turned out to be Focus Do It All.
8. Chris Thomas' value at Lowe Lintas soared because of reports that
Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO wanted to appoint him as the chief executive to
succeed Andrew Robertson.
9. John West tuna has won the Grand Prix in Cannes. This rumour hit the
Croisette a day before the real winner, Fox Sport, was announced.
10. Maurice Levy will buy M&C Saatchi and parachute its management into
Saatchi & Saatchi's offices at Charlotte Street. OK, so this rumour was
in last year's list, but it's still doing the rounds and we love it.
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