Allied Integrated Marketing, one of Hollywood’s favorite media buyers and event producers, has moved its offices to a historic building that continually reminds employees of the agency’s entertainment-centered business.
Kymn Goldstein, Allied’s executive vice president, said her windows overlook both the Kodak and Graumann’s Chinese theaters the scenes of modern Oscar Awards and old-time-styled movie premieres, respectively.
“Hollywood has evolved so much in the last few years in terms of restaurants and retail and businesses,” said Goldstein. “We wanted to play a role in that growth.”
Located at 6908 Hollywood Blvd., the low-rise brick building was constructed in 1921. Allied and its 65 employees will occupy 14,000 square feet. The company previously rented space at several contemporary office buildings on Wilshire Boulevard near Koreatown.
In addition to the symbolic value of being in the heart of Hollywood, the move has a strategic purpose.
“Our biggest effort now is integrating our online and offline operations,” said Goldstein. “Before, we had different people in different offices. This puts everyone in the same space.”
While the architecture calls to mind Hollywood history, the boulevard has a constant stream of tourists from Middle America that remind Goldstein of the real audience for most movies.
“For Allied, it doesn’t hurt that we can walk out our door and see people from all walks of life native Angelenos, Hollywood High School students, and people visiting from every place and walk of life,” she said. “It reminds us of who we are marketing to.”
Allied clients include film studios 20th Century Fox, Disney, Paramount, Sony, Universal, and the stage productions of “Mamma Mia!” and “Hairspray.”
Truth About Teenagers
Encino-based online survey company United Sample has teamed up with a subsidiary of Hearst Magazines to produce market research reports on teen consumers.
The research will be conducted at a new Web site, Surveys4Teens.com, which will be a sister site to Espin.com, a social network owned by Hearst. Espin has more than 1.7 million users, and about 850,000 of them have signed up to fill out product surveys in exchange for rewards.
Founded in 2008, United Sample specializes in research on hard-to-get population segments. The company uses proprietary technology to eliminate bogus responses.
Sony’s High Profile
Advertising agency 180 Los Angeles has created a campaign for Sony Electronics featuring a crowd of celebrities.
In the TV commercials, the celebrities form a goofy panel that helps a consumer pick a new product, such as a big-screen TV. Panel members include Super Bowl MVP Peyton Manning, singer Justin Timberlake, “America’s Next Top Model” judge Nigel Barker and ESPN reporter Erin Andrews.
The campaign will start this month and run through early 2010. In addition to TV, there will be online banners, and radio and print ads. In-store merchandising will include videos, floor mats, counter cards and displays.
Based in Santa Monica, 180 Los Angeles is a video and digital production house founded by former TBWAChiatDay executive Chris Mendola. The agency has about 200 employees in Los Angeles and Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Its name is based on a quote from movie director Francis Ford Coppola who said, “Whenever you get in trouble, do a 180 degree turn.”
Agencies & Accounts
HTC, a maker of stylish mobile phones, has hired Deutsch LA in Playa Vista as its North American agency of record. Deutsch LA will handle all advertising, media buying and digital marketing for the Taiwanese phones. In a statement, Deutsch President Eric Hirshberg called HTC “the coolest mobile company no one’s ever heard of yet.” Michael Birkin, former vice chairman of Omnicom Group, has bought a majority stake in Calabasas-based event production house RPMC. Birkin will hold the title of partner and will open a New York office. Founding partner Murray Schwartz will remain in Calabasas. Counterintuity LLC, a marketing firm in Burbank, will design a Web site for Pasadena’s Art + Ideas Festival. The festival will run Oct. 23 to Nov. 9. Dan Goldstein is the new executive director of planning at TBWAChiatDay in Marina del Rey. He will lead a department of 35 planners. Goldstein came to TBWAChiatDay three years ago from Goodby Silverstein & Partners. It Girl Public Relations has re-signed teen pop singer Aaron Carter as a client. The Venice publicity shop will promote Carter’s new gig as a contestant on the “Dancing With the Stars” TV show. Amy Levy Public Relations in West Los Angeles has signed Marcia Ann Coppertino, founder of the All American Herbal Health Clinic as a client. Based in Inglewood, the clinic offers holistic services for cancer patients.
Staff reporter Joel Russell can be reached at [email protected] or at (323) 549-5225, ext. 237.
