Public relations veteran Bill Harrison has reunited with former employee Jackie Feldman to launch PR agency Third Street Media Group.
The announcement was made last week. Harrison said the Mid-Wilshire firm would specialize in helping consumer-focused entertainment companies.
Harrison, who had been chief executive of Beverly Hills’ PR firm Fifteen Minutes, left late last year to work with Fairfax District’s Principal Communications Group to build a media training program. But starting his own agency was at the back of his mind.
“It was something that I thought about,” he said. “And in the interim, I had built out a media training practice.”
Feldman was working as an independent public relations consultant, but had worked under Feldman at Fifteen Minutes, the agency which helped professional football player Michael Sam announce that he was gay.
“We’d always been in touch,” said Feldman, who left Fifteen Minutes in 2012. “Bill was my mentor and when I left Fifteen Minutes, I left on positive terms and we just remained close friends and colleagues.”
Third Street already has several clients signed up, including Warner Bros. Television Group’s Alloy Entertainment, online humor network Cheezburger and national arts philanthropy organization the Art of Elysium. Last week, it signed entertainment marketing agency Propaganda GEM.
Harrison didn’t specify startup costs, but said they were nominal and that starting a PR agency doesn’t take much capital.
“You need a phone, a big mouth and a computer,” he joked.
Eyeing Big Apple
Event design and marketing agency NVE: The Experience Agency has opened its second office, in New York.
The eight-year-old Hollywood agency represents clients such as Universal Studios Inc.; Hulu; Qualcomm Inc.; and Beats Electronics, which was recently acquired by Apple Inc.
The New York office is led by Derrin Woodhouse, who will serve as executive director. He was previously the national entertainment director for Clear Channel Communications Inc. in New York.
Woodhouse said NVE will fit in just fine with New York’s culture.
“New York’s deep-rooted personality of art, culture and authenticity will perfectly complement the out-of-the-box thinking of the NVE creative team,” he said.
The new office will be working with Kirven-Lopez Consulting, a hospitality company in New York, to oversee design, construction and brand development of its 20,000-square-foot space for corporate and social events.
Brett Hyman, NVE’s president, said the agency has evolved over the years from a traditional event production agency.
“We translate brands into engaging experiences that immerse, captivate and inspire audiences while providing them tools to amplify the experience,” he said.
Agencies & Accounts
Ad agency Saatchi & Saatchi Los Angeles in Torrance has named Jason Schragger chief creative officer in a newly formed role. Schragger was global creative director at TBWAChiatDay in New York. … Beverly Hills communications agency Blaine Group Inc. has signed Wheelchair Solutions in Scottsdale, Ariz. The agency will handle national marketing, communications and advertising. … Entertainment consultancy and marketing agency Troika has named Alejandro Lopez executive creative director. Lopez previously headed his own creative agency, Awake Connected Entertainment in Altadena. … Ad agency TBWAChiatDay in Playa Vista has named four creative directors: Marco Monteiro, Ana Carolina Reis, Guy Helm and Chris Rodriguez. The agency also promoted Stephen Butler to chief creative officer, and Fabio Costa and Brent Anderson to executive creative directors. … Ad agency Hawthorne Direct in downtown Los Angeles has promoted Jessica Hawthorne-Castro to chief executive from chief operating officer. The agency also hired Lauren Ann Bronchtein as vice president and account director. … Public affairs agency Fiona Hutton & Associates in Studio City has named former Los Angeles Times political reporter Anthony York senior counselor and consultant. … Public relations firm Olmstead Williams Communications in Westwood has signed six clients: Bruin Biometrics, Creative Care, Cynvenio Biosystems, T+ink, Truckast and USC’s Marshall School of Business. … Ad tech company Bidtellect of Delray Beach, Fla., has named Annie Turkel regional vice president of sales for its western region and Michael Traylor senior vice president of business affairs and corporate development in its L.A. office.
Staff reporter Subrina Hudson can be reached at [email protected] or (323) 549-5225, ext. 251.
