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Each week, Marketing Brew recaps the agency world’s biggest leadership changes, account wins and losses, reviews, acquisitions, and more.
Hires and departures
Dentsu Americas CEO Jacki Kelley is departing to join Interpublic Group of Cos. as executive VP, chief client officer, and chief business officer. Michael Komasinski, global CEO of Dentsu-owned Merkle, will take over for Kelley at Dentsu beginning in July. Kelley previously served as IPG’s North America CEO and president of global clients at IPG Mediabrands.
M&C Saatchi Performance promoted Kabeer Chaudhary to global CEO, replacing CEO and founder James Hilton. For the past two years, Chaudhary has been serving as managing director, APAC. Hilton will remain with the organization as chairman, and Chaudhary will continue managing APAC operations until the agency names a replacement.
Jim Moser, chairman of BBDO Europe, is leaving the company after nearly 30 years. On LinkedIn, he wrote that he is “NOT retiring. I’m too young and I have too much energy to stop contributing. There is so much more I plan and want to do, but not in a large full-time corporate role.”
Account wins, losses, and reviews
Etsy will partner with the Orchard agency beginning this summer for creative advertising work. That partnership, the result of a review, will include Etsy’s forthcoming holiday campaign.
General Mills chose food marketing agency Ingredient as its new content marketing agency of record. Ingredient will manage email marketing, website and editorial content, channel planning, and other strategies. It has previously produced work for GM brands like Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Old El Paso, and Box Tops for Education.
Constellation Brands, whose portfolio includes Corona and Modelo beers and Svedka vodka, appointed IPG-owned Initiative as its media agency of record in the US. Horizon Media, which had handled the account since 2009, will help Constellation transition over to the new AOR.
New divisions, offices, acquisitions, etc.
Adm Group acquired Singapore-based boutique agency Dass, along with the agency’s martech platform, FLOW. It’s another big acquisition for adm Group, which last year acquired Connecticut-based consumer engagement firm Lapine and consulting firm Effectus.
Dentsu announced a new Tokyo-based division specializing in anime, Dentsu Anime Solutions. Sei Matsumoto, the division’s representative director and president, said it will help Dentsu “enhance our expertise in various areas, such as producing new anime IP, supporting sales, and of course license management.”
Incentive marketing company Creative Group created a brand-focused event marketing agency. According to Melissa Van Dyke, SVP of integrated marketing and innovation, clients “have an increased focus on using incentive campaigns and events to increase brand awareness and loyalty” following the pandemic.