GM NARROWS REVIEW IN CHINA TO TWO IPG AGENCIES

HONG KONG (AdAge.com) -- General Motors Corp. will hold an unexpected final round to decide the winner of its five-way pitch to introduce Chevrolet in China. The review of the advertising account has narrowed to two Interpublic Group of Cos.' agencies, McCann-Erickson Worldwide and Foote, Cone & Belding Worldwide, after the client ruled out Havas' Arnold Worldwide Partners and two unnamed local agencies. Loyalty to McCann Industry sources said FCB won the pitch, but not the business, because some factions on the client side remain partial to McCann-Erickson, a global GM roster agency. "It's all about politics. Also, the launch has been postponed for six months, so there is now no need to hurry into a second round," said one executive who has participated in the pitch. GM will not disclose billings, but another executive said GM wants to make Chevrolet a leading brand and estimated the winning agency's annual fee will be about $2 million. China will become the world's fourth-largest car market by year's end and could overtake the U.S. as the world's No. 1 car market by 2020.

GM NARROWS REVIEW IN CHINA TO TWO IPG AGENCIES

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