News from Dick's Desk
Tom Dick & Harry/Chicago Adds Canyon Ranch Social Media Biz
Tom Dick & Harry/Chicago has been named social media agency of record for Canyon Ranch, the Tucson, Ariz.-based operator of wellness resorts, hotels, condominiums and spas.
The agency will lead an effort that will include social media strategy and implementation. “More and more of our client relationships are evolving to recognize the growing importance of social media,” said Greg Reifel, TD&H co-managing partner, “and our focus there has increased dramatically in just the past year.” After a two-month-long, multiple-agency preliminary competition, TD&H bested San Francisco's Loomis Group in the finals.
Finally, An Answer to Bank Protests
The Service Employees International Union is organizing protests at this week's American Bankers Association meeting, in what's shaping up to be a classic failure to communicate.
The big banks that everybody loves to hate haven't hit on an effective strategy for addressing angry citizens determined to vent their frustration about Wall Street greed, as here.
Part of the problem is that banks don't talk like people -- as reflected in a radio ad from The Private Bank.
In a 60-second spot by Tom Dick & Harry Advertising, the Chicago-area financial firm lampoons its bigger rivals' tendency to rely on corporate-speak. It's an inspired script making use of just about every entry in the Encyclopedia of Business Cliches here.
Will it mollify an angry Main Street? It might work about as well as anything else the bankers have said so far:
"Let’s touch base to arrange a little face time so we can appear fully engaged. Let’s be proactive, synergistic and leverage this thing. Better yet, let’s circle back and do a deep dive so we can empower a paradigm shift with a value added, team building, best of breed, Six Sigma, perfect storm that could go viral. And be scalable! It can be a loss leader, but let’s focus on the low hanging fruit. Also, look for change agents that generate robust ideation. Make sure the concept has legs and allows our stakeholders to focus on our core competencies with seamless integration. As for the action items and next steps? Well, we’re going to be proactive and bench mark the bottom line. That’s the bottom line-- in all candor. So that at the end of the day, we’re on plan, even if we’re off plan. We’ll have to manage up. Manage down. And manage expectations. Net-net: It’s a win-win. Got it? OK? Fantastic."
Agency Loses Pitch, Takes the High Road
When sports teams lose, a reporter like Jim Gray always interviews the defeated coach, but in advertising we only hear from the winning shop. Recently, an unnamed client decided not to work with Tom, Dick & Harry which prompted partner Bob Volkman to issue this comment: “Our hats go off to (the winning agency). They really came to play. Sometimes you get beat. We’re just going to regroup and go from here. We can hold our heads high knowing we gave it our best shot. And when we look in the mirror, we still like what we see, unlike those thieving cheaters from (the winning agency).”
Lew’s News
There's a new twist in the Chicago Bulls' ad agency arrangement. DiMeo & Co./Chicago remains the agency of record, but Tom Dick & Harry/Chicago will create the radio campaign for the Bulls' 2008-09 season. Sources said the TD&H radio executions will probably be made to mesh with DiMeo's new campaign via the overarching tagline DiMeo will create for next season. A source said Bulls executives wanted to go with the TD&H radio work because it is distinctive and different from anything the team had used before.
Now Serving the Finest Brisket in Chicago
Tom Dick & Harry Advertising/ Chicago has been hired to develop creative for consumer and trade integrated ad campaigns for Stubb's Barbecue, a Texas brand founded in 1968 by C.B. Stubblefield. Stubbs is the No. 1-selling specialty brand of BBQ sauce and the No. 1 marinade as well.
Malternative Orders Tom, Dick & Harry
CHICAGO–Malternative beverage maker Mike's Hard Lemonade has tapped independent agency Tom, Dick & Harry Advertising here to handle its integrated and retail marketing, the shop confirmed.
"I'm thrilled to be working with Tom, Dick and Harry. We've been impressed with their work from the moment we first met," said Kevin McLaughlin, the company's vp, marketing, in a statement. "We look forward to top notch trade marketing efforts."
The agency will be working on the Seattle-based company's current products (including hard lemonade, hard lime and hard ice tea), as well as upcoming new product introductions.
Billings on the integrated and retail marketing account were not disclosed.