Momentum Annexes World Creative Group
Momentum Worldwide has absorbed sister shop World Creative Group, bringing its two principals and 13 creative staffers to the promotion agency.
The addition strengthens Momentum’s entertainment marketing and creative expertise, and jumpstarts promotional collaboration with Momentum’s celebrity p.r. arm, PMK/HBH, to marry pop culture to brand marketing.
Advertising veteran Jeff Weiss becomes executive creative director of Momentum Worldwide, a new post; he had been WCG’s executive creative director. WCG’s Chief Creative Director Paul Opperman becomes executive creative director of Momentum New York, a new post. Matthew Stern, who had been WCG’s general manager, becomes Momentum’s co-managing director with Greg Luckman.
Weiss and crew will tap PMK/HBH’s celebrity connections as they develop campaigns for Momentum clients including American Express, Anheuser-Busch and Coca-Cola. Weiss has worked with PMK/HBH President Pat Kingsley in the past.
“Pat Kingsley and I have worked with Jeff on projects and loved his ability to create amazing brand worlds on behalf of clients,” said Momentum CEO Chris Weil in a statement. “The marriage of high profile experience in advertising, celebrity p.r., sponsorship and event marketing gives us unparalleled capabilities. … This is another step in our evolution to create a truly unique agency that includes and goes beyond Madison and Vine.”
Twelve other WCG creatives migrated to Momentum, as did WCG work for its biggest client, Bacardi/Martini, and projects for other clients. Parent McCann Worldgroup, which owns Momentum and WCG, has folded WCG. The shift happened on Nov. 15.
Weiss, a partner in high-profile ad shop Margeotes, Fertitta and Weiss since 1987, left in 1994 to form creative boutique McCann Amster Yard, which moved last year to McCann Erickson’s New York office and changed its name to World Creative Group, operating as a stand-alone unit within McCann.
Momentum ranked No. 1 in the 2005 PROMO 100 with estimated 2004 net revenues of $81 million, up an estimated 43% from 2002.
