New York-based investor relations firm Sard Verbinnen & Co. has signed an impressive list of clients since opening a Century City office in May.
The local office landed the board of Groupon, the Chicago-based Internet coupon site; the board of Yahoo Inc., which recently fired Chief Executive Carol Bartz and launched a strategic review of its business structure; News Corp., the media conglomerate with major operations in Los Angeles; Activision Blizzard Inc., the game publisher in Santa Monica; and OneWest Bank in Pasadena.
Not bad for an operation with four employees. The office also handles work for other longtime Sard Verbinnen clients based in Southern California, including Saban Capital Group, DreamWorks Animation and DineEquity Inc.
Charles Sipkins, managing director of the Century City office, said the firm’s arrival here was the third step in a three-part plan to cover the financial hub in New York, the technology hub in San Francisco and the entertainment hub in Los Angeles.
“We are focused on helping clients with financial communications, but that includes issues management, investor relations and litigation support,” Sipkins said.
As for the local office’s quick success, he said the agency recruits customers through bankers, attorneys and C-level executives who serve on the boards of current clients.
Tooth Truth
Secret Weapon Marketing, a West L.A. ad agency that has a maximum quota of three clients, has filled out its roster by signing up to work for 1-800-Dentist.
The agency has maintained Jack in the Box as a client for 15 years and Southern California Honda Dealers for five. It will be the first agency for Los Angeles-based 1-800-Dentist, which previously handled advertising in-house.
In its first campaign for the dental referral service, Secret Weapon focused on how people choose a dentist. Based on research from the client, most people rely on recommendations from their friends and family. The “Useless” campaign humorously displays the flaws in this method, with three ads that show how family, friends and co-workers can fail, ultimately leading the person in the ad to call for a more trustworthy recommendation.
Secret Weapon won the account through a competitive review.
“We rarely pitch, but this was a client the agency really wanted,” Dick Sittig, the agency’s founder, said in a statement.
Secret Weapon’s previous third client was Clear, a wireless computer service. The agency lost the account – its first-ever defection – in May.
Billboard Venture
Allied Integrated Marketing, a company that buys media for movie studios through 20 offices in major U.S. cities, and OuterSpace MediaLab, an ad agency specializing in outdoor formats, have formed a joint venture. The new Allied OuterSpace will be headquartered in Los Angeles and managed by Pete Smith, former manager of CBS Outdoor in Los Angeles.
The venture’s strategy is to combine ad creation in Los Angeles with teams in major cities that will provide local knowledge about specific billboards that could be used for each campaign. Locally, the company will target clients and campaigns in the entertainment sector including movies, home videos, music and games, as well as L.A. fashion and technology companies.
Allied OuterSpace plans to work directly with advertisers and through agencies.
Trailing Off
Bemis Balkind, a marketing consultancy for the film industry, has hired Curt Doty, former founder and president of the advanced content group at Trailer Park, a movie trailer production house.
Doty will oversee Bemis Balkind’s Digital Group, handling digital content, advertising and distribution for films. He will hold the title of general manager of the group.
Bemis Balkind, located on Wilshire Boulevard just west of the Miracle Mile, has marketed some of Hollywood’s biggest movies, including “Alien,” “Superman,” “Fatal Attraction” and “Forrest Gump.”
Agencies & Accounts
AT&T has hired PR agency Casey & Sayre to help the telecom explain its build-out of an improved wireless system. The agency is working through media outreach, event sponsorships and in-store promotions to explain the benefits of the broadband expansion. AT&T has invested more than $450 million in the last three years in its wireless network in Los Angeles and Orange counties. … 72andSunny, a Venice advertising agency, has named creative directors Jason Norcross and Bryan Rowles partners. Since joining the agency in 2004, the pair has produced campaigns for Discovery Channel, Nike and Activision. In their new roles, they will oversee work for all 72andSunny clients, which include Carl’s Jr., PacSun, Bugaboo and K-Swiss. … Pollack PR Marketing Group in Century City has landed the account of InclusionInc, a diversity consulting firm headquartered in Minneapolis. Pollack will focus on traditional and social media outreach to publicize InclusionInc’s services. … TBWAChiatDay in Playa del Rey has promoted Jayanta Jenkins to global creative director on the Gatorade account. The agency has also named Brent Anderson and Steve Howard group creative directors for Gatorade. Anderson and Howard are credited for the Gatorade Replay campaign. … Inter/Media Group of Cos. in Encino has named Jody Slater managing director of its digital unit, Inter/Media Interactive. She will supervise digital customers and services.
Staff reporter Joel Russell can be reached at [email protected] or at (323) 549-5225, ext. 237.
