Agency news you need to know this week

Early Bird tickets for the Small Agency Conference expire today Get your Early Bird tickets today for the Ad Age Small Agency Conference. The two-day event, which will take place from July 26-27 in Chicago, is the only industry event specifically tailored for the needs of agencies with fewer than 150 employees. Get your tickets for the Small Agency Conference & Awards, held in Chicago on July 26 and 27, at AdAge.com/SACA2022 Attendees can purchase tickets for $599 until the end of May 20, after which tickets will cost $750. Kristen Cavallo, CEO of the Martin Agency, will keynote the event. Other speakers include Asmirh Davis, founding partner and chief strategy officer of Majority; Lindsey Slaby, founder of Sunday Dinner; and Krystle Watler, TikTok head of creative agency partnerships for North America. Attendees will be able to hear about some of the best practices for working with search consultants, from consultants themselves; define when is the best time to pass on a pitch; hear case studies for some of the top work from 2021; learn how agencies can hire diverse talent; discover the future of work and more. Sign up here for upcoming events and awards Ad Age In-Depth: TV Pivot Ad Age 40 under 40 Ad Age Small Agency Conference & Awards Mediahub rides away with Lyft account Lyft has named Mediahub as its U.S. media agency of record following a three-month internal review led by the rideshare company. It’s not clear whether the incumbent agency VaynerMedia defended the account. VaynerMedia wasn’t immediately available for comment. Mediahub will handle Lyft’s U.S. media planning, buying, analytics and measurement duties, according to a statement by the agency. It will also work with Acxiom, the data arm of Mediahub parent Interpublic Group of Cos. The agency’s office in Los Angeles will lead the account with support from across the U.S. network. The decision comes nearly a month after it was reported that Uber named Johannes Leonardo as its lead creative agency. Lyft sales were up 49 percent year-over-year and Uber sales were up 80 percent year-over-year in April 2022, according to data provider Bloomberg Second Measure. Ex-Droga chief creative joins Orchard Lightning Orchard, which has rebranded itself as Orchard, hired David Kolbusz as its new chief creative officer. Kolbusz, who previously served as chief creative officer of Droga5 London, replaces the agency’s first Chief Creative Officer, Jeff Kling, who “blesses the move,” according to a statement by the agency. Related: See Kolbusz's greatest hits at Droga5 London “David and I both worked at BBH,” Barney Robinson, CEO and co-founder of Orchard said. “I distinctly remember our first encounter. I was talking to Nigel Bogle when David came over, chatted briefly and left. As he walked away Nigel turned to me and said: 'That guy’s a fucking genius.' I remember it so vividly because it was the only time in 14 years I ever heard Nigel say that about anyone.” Prior to joining Droga5 London as chief creative officer, Kolbusz served as executive creative director at Wieden + Kennedy New York, deputy creative director and partner at BBH London, and group creative director at Goodby Silverstein & Partners. Orchard will also undergo a visual rebrand in the next few months. Will Arnett stars in B2B campaign Actor and comedian Will Arnett personifies an unlikable and outdated e-commerce platform in his latest role. In the business-to-business “Naysayer” campaign for Commercetools, Arnett continuously interrupts a company meeting by rejecting any ideas around modern e-commerce solutions such as topics related to the metaverse and gaming. The global campaign was created by Walker Sands in partnership with video production company Flightless Bird Creative. Read more: Metaverse marketing—everything brands need to know IPG hires new global diversity chief Interpublic Group of Cos. has named Channing Martin as its global chief diversity and social impact officer. Martin replaces Heide Gardner, who retired this week. Gardner assumed the role in June following nearly 20 years as the holding company’s chief diversity and inclusion officer. “Diversity and inclusion are key elements in how we deliver extraordinary value to all our stakeholders—including our people, our clients and our owners,” IPG CEO Philippe Krakowsky said in a statement. “And while we’ve made meaningful progress in this area, there is still a great deal of work left for us to do. I look forward to partnering with Channing to advance our goals, and to harness the impact of her perspective, experience and passion to ensure that we become an organization in which fairness is at the foundation of everything we do, and in which opportunity and access are equally available to all of our people.” Martin joins from CSG, a global consumer engagement and digital experience solutions company, where she served as chief diversity and social responsibility officer. Get your tickets for the Small Agency Conference & Awards, held in Chicago on July 26 and 27, at AdAge.com/SACA2022 Just briefly Johannes Leonardo has named Elizabeth Hess as its first head of agency brand and engagement. Hess, who joined the agency as director of communications in 2018, will oversee all internal and external agency communication, corporate marketing, brand awareness, public relations and thought leadership campaigns. Hess will also be a “key partner” in building out the agency’s social channels and earned media functions, according to a statement by the agency. U.K. agency group Next Fifteen Communications Group has agreed to acquire M&C Saatchi for $387.2 million. This deal comes a few months after the company had also acquired Engine U.K. FCB Chicago has named Mollie Partsotti, a former MullenLowe executive, as its new chief strategy officer. Partsotti takes over for Nicole Brandell, who assumed the role last year and left the agency to pursue “new startup opportunities,” according to a spokeswoman for the agency. New Orleans-based agency PeterMayer has named Matt Kuttan as its new chief creative officer. He takes over from Desmond LaVelle, who announced his departure last month and will be starting his own creative consultancy. This is the latest leadership change for the agency. Earlier this year PeterMayer changed ownership, with chief strategy officer Michelle Edelman taking over as owner and CEO from the Mayer family, the first time the agency has been run by someone outside the family since its founding in 1967. WYNK, a THC and CBD-infused seltzer brand, has appointed Mischief @ No Fixed Address as its creative agency of record, with media duties to be handled by sister agency No Fixed Address. The agency’s first work for the brand is set to launch later this year. Tech services company TheoremOne will be merging with Media.Monks. This is S4 Capital’s first merger since it released it’s delayed 2021 results, a situation that its founder Martin Sorrell called “unacceptable” and “embarassing.” Read more: S4 Capital reports 2021 results after 'unacceptable' VMLY&R Commerce U.S. has named McDonald Predelus as its first VP creative director of Web3. Previously, Predelus has worked with Gut and Havas, among other agencies, and he also founded Ghostskate, a community-based skate organization. Cashmere, which merged with Media.Monks last year, has promoted five new executives to new roles as the agency continues to expand. Cameron Crane, previously VP of business development, takes on the role of chief growth officer. Joey Furutani, previously VP of operations, has been named chief of staff. Sandy Song, previously executive VP of client services, takes on the role of chief client officer. Brianne Pins, formerly VP of public relations, is promoted to senior VP of public relations, and Jesse Nicely, previously VP, group strategy director, takes on the role of senior VP of cultural strategy. Chattanooga, Tennessee-based agency The Johnson Group has brought on Teresa Caro as its first president. She previously served as chief marketing officer of digital tech agency Sagepath Reply. Alternative meat company Dr. Praegers has selected Wheelehouse Labs as its agency of record. It’s unclear if the brand had an incumbent AOR, but it had previously worked with Brooklyn-based agency Special Ops in the past. Boston-based agency Colossus has merged with design studio A&Co. As a result, A&Co founder Allison Waters Doherty will take on the newly created role of general manager of Design for Colossus. Doherty will manage the transition and integration of the design practice into Colossus—spanning everything from business development to recruiting to client relationships, according to a statement by the agency. Prior to founding A&Co Doherty served as Arnold Worldwide’s executive VP, director of global operations. Cincinnati, Ohio-based agency Curiosity has been named social media agency of record for Stoli Group’s Agave portfolio with immediate assignments on three tequila brands: the Nick Jonas-backed Villa One, Cenote, and Se Busca. The Kyu Collective, which is a collective of creative companies like Sid Lee and Ideo, has acquired strategy and design consultancy Sylvain, which will retain its brand and continue to operate independently. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Link Agency, which is a shop focused on TikTok work, has named Dustin Poteet as its first chief creative officer. Poteet who joined as creative director earlier this year previously served as VP of content for Comedy.com and creative director of IMGN Media. Wavemaker has appointed Briana Finelli as group director, commerce strategy practice lead. She succeeds Samantha Bukowski, who has been promoted to GroupM's head of global commerce strategy and operations. Dallas-based agency Camelot Strategic Marketing & Media has promoted Juliet Corsinita as its first head of video investment. Prior to joining the agency in 2018, she served as VP of media and brand partnerships for Taco Bell. Her previous role, strategic account director, has been filled internally, according to a spokeswoman for the agency. Contributing: Keira Wingate

Agency news you need to know this week

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