BK Drops DraftWorldwide for General Promotions
Burger King Corp. on Monday announced its new lineup of advertising and promotions agencies.
As a part the change, BK has dropped DraftWorldwide for promotions, P-O-P and direct mail in place of WPP Group’s Wunderman. Meanwhile, WPP sister shop, Young & Rubicam, has picked up the more than $340 million creative and field marketing account. Both agencies are based in New York City.
First work is expected shortly after a 90-day transition period, said Rob Doughty, a spokesperson at Miami, FL-based BK.
Premium Surge, a division of Chicago-based DraftWorldwide, will continue to handle BK’s kids’ premium business along with Equity Marketing. BK had selected Draft as AOR to handle promos and merchandising worldwide in January 2001 after a lengthy review (March 2001 PROMO).
Other agencies left behind include Santa Monica, CA-based Amoeba and Interpublic Group’s Deutsch in Los Angeles. The two companies had handled brand advertising and field marketing, respectively.
Interpublic’s Campbell Mithun, Minneapolis, retains the kids’ marketing work for BK. Uniworld, which is partly owned by WPP, will continue to handle African-American advertising, while Publicis Groupe’s Bromley Communications retains Hispanic marketing.
The agency change-up takes place after several top management resignations over the past few months in the wake of BK’s sale by Diageo to a consortium of U.S. investors.
Chris Clouser, executive VP and global chief marketing officer and president of Burger King Brands steps down May 1 (March 26 Xtra). Last month, John Dasburg announced his resignation as chairman of BK Corp. and Rick Dow stepped down as the firm’s No. 2 marketing executive. (Feb. 18 Xtra). Dow was succeeded by Rick Brown. In December, BK named Bradley Blum CEO and in January appointed Robert Nilsen president.
