1. "We are definitely not looking for another agency," a Benecol
spokeswoman crooned, in the week in which the company saw creds from
eight agencies. It later emerged that the account was staying with
Saatchis. Benecol claimed it had talked to agencies "only as part of a
regular benchmarking exercise". Work now airing (above) is by Miles
Calcraft Briginshaw Duffy. Interesting benchmarking.
2. "The river of new business never stops flowing," Andy Law crooned for
some unknown reason. Looking at St Luke's position on the new-business
performance league - bottom with minus £55.5 million in billings -
it seems the river was flowing out of, rather than in to, St Luke's
offices.
3. Bruce Haines, president of the IPA, was determined that the billings
nose-dive recorded on the front of Campaign in August was not evidence
of a recession. He said: "The first six months of 2000 were bumper
months. Growth rates were between 11 and 15 per cent year on year. Those
rates are clearly unsustainable. Going forward, growth rates are looking
more normal. This is a wholesale correction."
4. Trish Wadley, the former marketing director of The Independent, when
quizzed over whether she was reviewing the paper's advertising account
out of Euro RSCG Wnek Gosper, said exasperatedly: "I have gone on record
a number of times saying we are not looking for a new agency." The
Independent's account is currently residing with Walsh Trott Chick
Smith.
5. Andy Law (again) when Ikea put St Luke's on notice and decided
instead to use freelance creatives for its advertising. "It's been a
tremendous partnership for six years," he said. " We wish it the best of
luck." Such restraint.
6. Chris Arnold, the former integrated creative director of Saatchi &
Saatchi, denied that he was leaving the agency despite an insider
claiming "an amicable split". Arnold said: "I'm still here and there are
plenty of exciting things going on." He has since parted company with
the agency.
7. Trevor Beattie, when commenting on the departure of the TBWA/ London
senior creatives, Paul Belford and Nigel Roberts, managed to conceal a
nice little jibe in his parting complement to them - an example of
spinning at its best. "I wish them well because it is a big challenge,"
he said.
8. Jeremy Miles upheld his reputation for maintaining his smoother than
smooth composure no matter what happens. When Neil Dawson, a stakeholder
in Miles Calcraft Briginshaw Duffy, quit for TBWA/London, he said: "I'm
saddened that Neil is leaving, but he's going to a fantastic job in a
great agency."
9. In May the Department of Social Security claimed it had accidentally
underestimated its adspend by a whopping £7 million. The
Conservatives and Liberal Democrats were understandably doubtful as the
spend hike - to £18.4 million - came in the run-up to the general
election.
10. Chris Ingram once allegedly said that he would rather lick the floor
of an abattoir than be bought out by WPP. However, when the Tempus
chairman was faced this year with just such a reality, he managed to
respin his tune to say (rightly) that through the takeover, CIA and
Outrider have the opportunity to become truly global networks of real
scale. But how it must have hurt him to say it.
