L.A. Firm Taking Plunge With Algae-to-Oil Venture

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OriginOil, a company working to transform algae into a source of fuel, has hired PR firm Cerrell Associates to help communicate its mission of developing a viable competitor to petroleum.


“With oil over $125 a barrel, and food-based fuels quickly becoming less viable, OriginOil is ready to capitalize on its technology that will transform algae to oil,” said Mark Wittenberg, a principal at Cerrell Associates.

Based on the concept that much of the world’s petroleum comes from ancient algae, OriginOil’s technology promises to produce a long-term supply of feedstock chemicals for fuels, plastics and solvents. Unlike corn ethanol, algae will deliver oil “without disrupting the environment or food supplies,” according to the company.

Cerrell ranks fifth on the Business Journal’s list of PR firms with billings of $5.9 million. However, its environmental practice is among the largest in the U.S. and it has a long track record in political and issues communications.

The agency “will help us achieve our goal to be the leader in the algae-to-oil sector,” said Riggs Eckelberry, chief executive at Century City-based OriginOil.


BizBash Returns

BizBash, the largest trade show for the events industry, opens its Los Angeles Event Style Show Expo & Awards at the Convention Center on June 5. Organizers expect about 150 exhibitors.

Lynda Resnick, vice chairwoman of Roll International Corp., is keynote speaker. She leads the company with her husband, Stewart, and is credited with turning around Teleflora LLC, the world’s largest florist network.

Resnick will discuss her thoughts on marketing in the current economy. The awards show, hosted by KABC (Channel 7) reporter Tawny Little, will honor event professionals in 18 categories.

Speakers and panelists during the day will include Hollace Davids, NBC Universal’s producer for movie premieres, talking about the basics of a great event; Branden Chapman, organizer of the Grammy Awards on how to succeed with a mega-event; Radar Research’s Marissa Gluck on viral and Internet marketing; and event producer Mary Micucci on food and beverage service at events.


Measuring PR

The public relations profession needs a quantitative system to judge its effectiveness, according to a study from the USC Annenberg School for Communication. The study surveyed 520 organizations, from giant corporations to small charities.

Professor Jerry Swerling, who directed the study, noted that organizations today measure just about everything except PR.

“We need to find, fund and apply reliable and widely accepted measurement tools of our own,” Swerling explained. “Until we do, we will not see the kind of generous funding that sister disciplines such as advertising and marketing regularly receive.”


Awards Season

Trade group ThinkLA delivered multiple Belding Awards to DDB LA and TBWA last month during the annual ceremony for best local advertising.

David Angelo of ad agency davidandgoliath led the event with a “New & Improved” theme. Winners carried off prizes that included footlong hotdogs and tequila.

“This is the only show in L.A. that recognizes advertising creativity, and we felt this year’s New & Improved show theme reflected such original thinking,” said Angelo.

TBWAMedia Arts Lab won four awards for its work on the Apple account. The honors came for TV commercials, online advertising and best integrated campaign.

Likewise, DDB LA took home three trophies, all for online work to promote Activision’s “Call of Duty 4” video game.

Other winners included Young & Rubicam Brands for a Land Rover poster; Hispanic shop Grupo Gallegos for its Foster Farms TV spot; Dailey & Associates for a spot on Fox Sports Network; RPA for a La-Z-Boy TV ad; Team One’s TV ad for Lexus; TBWAChiatDay’s “Shrink Ray” TV ad for PlayStation; Tequila, which built a Web site for PlayStation; and Deutsch LA for a self-promotion ad.

This marked the first year the Beldings featured award categories for digital campaigns. “This is reflective of the changes happening in the advertising industry,” said Jerry McGee, ThinkLA Beldings committee chairman.


Agencies & Accounts

Fleishman-Hillard has moved from its longtime downtown perch to a new address at 6755 Hollywood Blvd. According to the company a location in the center of Hollywood reinforces a “client-centric commitment and heritage that treats all of our clients like ‘stars.'” Formula, a boutique PR agency with offices in San Diego, Los Angeles and New York, has won the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf account. The agency has already started on the “daily grind” by sending its operatives into stores to pour coffee and serve pastries. The L.A.-based Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf will receive PR services from Formula’s Los Angeles office. Web site drop.io has hired Pollack PR Marketing Group to expand awareness of its services. The site allows people to exchange pictures, videos, audio and documents by creating private, nonsearchable online locations called “drops.” AdlhochCreative, an L.A.-based marketing firm, has added da Vinci Studios to its client list. Da Vinci Studios in West Hills is one of the world’s largest cosmetic dental laboratories and pioneer in porcelain veneers.


Staff reporter Joel Russell can be reached at

[email protected]

or at (323) 549-5225, ext. 237.

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