Wells, Rich, Greene in New York is in trouble on its $60 million-a-year Benson & Hedges advertising account.
In a review of the brand`s advertising, Philip Morris USA has asked for presentations from its three agencies: Wells, Leo Burnett USA in Chicago and Backer & Spielvogel in New York, sources said.
Philip Morris probably will make a decision in June, sources indicated.
Sales of Benson & Hedges, the No. 2 brand in the Philip Morris stable, have been soft, causing the firm to seek new creative strategies. Unit sales of Benson & Hedges were down 3 percent in 1985.
Burnett is Philip Morris` principal agency, its brand responsibilities including Marlboro, the top seller in this country as well as in overseas markets. Burnett got on board as a Philip Morris agency in 1954 with its appointment for Marlboro.
Backer & Spielvogel has been agency for Philip Morris` Parliament brand the last few years. Wells has had Benson & Hedges since the late 1960s.
AFTER HOURS FOR MICHELOB
Needham Harper Worldwide Chicago has done such a standout high-energy creative job for Anheuser-Busch`s Bud Light that anything else the agency turned out for the client`s other beer brands might pale by comparison. With a campaign that last week won Anheuser-Busch`s $40 million Michelob account, Needham also has conceived a fast-paced pitch that it is hoped will turn around declining business of that brand. The young adult crowd, beer drinkers in the age spread from the mid-20s to early 30s, will recognize the music in a 60-second Michelob television commercial that initially will air on NBC-TV Friday night. It`s part of the collection of award-winning singer Phil Collins. There also is a 30-second TV commercial with original music. Both spots, plus other media advertising to follow, will be showcased under ”The Night Belongs to Michelob” pitch. This night-time pitch is not original. Other brewers, including Miller Brewing Co.`s Lowenbrau, have at one time or another linked up with nocturnal visuals or moods to win over beer consumers. However, Michelob`s ”after dark” commitment will top anything else.
Whether the new creative can put more sales zip into Michelob is debatable. But at least the new campaign is an improvement over the yuppie
”Where you`re going, it`s Michelob” campaign produced by Ted Bates Advertising/New York, the former Michelob agency. Needham also will be touting the smoothness of Michelob in making ”tonight the best part of your day.”
The trouble is that many imports, at almost competitive prices, are perceived as having the same quality and smooth-tasting characteristics. Getting people to think again of Michelob as something special is going to be a terrific challenge for the St. Louis-based brewer and its new agency.
— J. Walter Thompson USA named Marion Howington, an agency senior vice president, to the new post of director of business development for its Chicago office. Howington, recently a group creative director, also was appointed director of external and internal communications for JWT here.
— Willard Hemsworth, a VP of D`Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles Chicago, was promoted to media research director, a new post at the agency here. He also was named chairman of the media review board here, also a new post.
On the move: Nancy Lauter promoted to senior VP, sales and marketing, at McDougal, Littell & Co. in Evanston. . . . Kenneth March rejoined Sieber & McIntyre as executive vice president, market planning and development. . . . Joseph E. McSweeny Jr. and Kathy Taylor became account executives in Satellite Music Network`s central division sales office. . . . Karen Kurtz joined Keroff & Rosenberg as a media planner; the agency added Andrea Weber as an account executive. . . .
Strictly Personal: Birthday greetings to Bob Schwab (Walgreen), Walt Schwimmer and adpeople Don Brashears, John Stitzell, Beverly Martin, Sharon Mathis and Jim Herman.
— Christy Marshall, a senior editor with Adweek in New York, is joining Bloom Agency June 2 as a senior VP and director of corporate communications. She will be based in Bloom`s New York office. Bloom`s headquarters are in Dallas.
— Former Chicagoan Tom McAlvey, recently director of media at Brown & Williamson Tobacco Co. in Louisville, is joining Humana Inc., the health-care concern there, in the same post.
JWT Group`s Hill & Knowlton public relations unit signed a new lease for its Chicago office at One Illinois Center (111 E. Wacker), a move that will increase its space from the present 41,000 square feet to 55,000 shortly and 63,000 by 1991. H&K Chicago last year had fee income of $13.5 million, about 17 percent of the firm`s business worldwide.
There`s a lot of smoke on the horizon at R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., marketer of such brands as Winston, Salem, Camel, Vantage, More and Ritz, the latter a new cigarette. Reynolds has filed trademark applications with the Patent Office for such brands as Apex, Focus, Alta and Altra.
Appointments: Frank J. Corbett Inc. was assigned a marketing communications program for a new medical weight loss program being offered by Louis A. Weiss Memorial Hospital.
