Leonard Pearlstein

Agency Keeps Tourism Account: Less than one week after Suzuki of America threatened to yank its estimated $15-million automobile advertising business from the Los Angeles advertising agency Keye/Donna/Pearlstein, the ad firm received good news from the California Office of Tourism, which said it would keep its $3.5-million account with Keye/Donna. The ad agency created the popular campaign "The Californias," which divides the state into geographical regions. "We'll keep that campaign," said Leonard Pearlstein, president of the agency, "but probably add a few twists to it."

Leonard Pearlstein, a Los Angeles advertising veteran who helped launch the ill-fated Suzuki Samurai, is back in the driver's seat. He's been named chief executive of Team One, the El Segundo unit of Saatchi & Saatchi Worldwide that creates advertising for Lexus. Known as a hands-on executive who seldom takes no for an answer, Pearlstein is expected to expand Team One's limited roster of clients. "He's a builder of advertising agencies," said a former partner, Paul Keye.

Suzuki has hit the road for a new advertising agency. The Japanese auto maker, which has still not recovered from year-old safety concerns over its Samurai sport utility vehicles, said on Thursday that it was placing its estimated $15 million to $30 million advertising business up for grabs. Suzuki sales have nose-dived since last June when Consumer Reports harshly condemned the Samurai as being prone to roll-overs and asked for a recall of all Samurai vehicles. The federal government later found that the Samurai was no worse than the average utility vehicle in its class.

Agency Keeps Tourism Account: Less than one week after Suzuki of America threatened to yank its estimated $15-million automobile advertising business from the Los Angeles advertising agency Keye/Donna/Pearlstein, the ad firm received good news from the California Office of Tourism, which said it would keep its $3.5-million account with Keye/Donna. The ad agency created the popular campaign "The Californias," which divides the state into geographical regions. "We'll keep that campaign," said Leonard Pearlstein, president of the agency, "but probably add a few twists to it."

Leonard Pearlstein, a Los Angeles advertising veteran who helped launch the ill-fated Suzuki Samurai, is back in the driver's seat. He's been named chief executive of Team One, the El Segundo unit of Saatchi & Saatchi Worldwide that creates advertising for Lexus. Known as a hands-on executive who seldom takes no for an answer, Pearlstein is expected to expand Team One's limited roster of clients. "He's a builder of advertising agencies," said a former partner, Paul Keye.

Hardee's Food Systems Inc. has invited more than 50 agencies nationwide to bid on the $80-million Hardee's burger chain advertising account. Mendelsohn/Zien Advertising in Los Angeles, which handles advertising for Hardee's parent, CKE Restaurants Inc., won't be bidding on the account. Mendelsohn will continue to handle test-marketing for dual-menu restaurants featuring food from both Hardee's and CKE's Carl's Jr. chain.

Team One Advertising, the El Segundo-based agency that creates advertising for Lexus, said it has withdrawn from the competition to handle the Hardee's fast food restaurant account. Team One Chief Executive Leonard Pearlstein called the decision not to compete for the business difficult, but said that the agency was busy with new work for Lexus, Toyota Motor's luxury division. Pearlstein had handled the Hardee's business at his own agency until last October, when he joined Team One.

One of the most creative but financially strapped ad firms in Los Angeles, Keye/Donna/Pearlstein, is expected to announce next week plans to merge with the Seattle agency Livingston & Co. A deal has been signed which would rename the ad firm Livingston & Keye, according to well-placed industry sources who asked not to be identified. Many--but not all--of Keye/Donna's estimated 30 employees will be retained by Livingston.

Hoping to counter a wave of negative publicity following reports of serious safety problems with the popular Suzuki Samurai, Suzuki began a week-long nationwide advertising blitz Thursday night, the company said Friday. The U.S. sales arm of the Japanese auto maker began to buy advertising time on network news programs and on local television news shows across the country beginning Thursday, airing ads that quote from positive reviews of the Samurai in auto industry trade magazines.

Suzuki has hit the road for a new advertising agency. The Japanese auto maker, which has still not recovered from year-old safety concerns over its Samurai sport utility vehicles, said on Thursday that it was placing its estimated $15 million to $30 million advertising business up for grabs. Suzuki sales have nose-dived since last June when Consumer Reports harshly condemned the Samurai as being prone to roll-overs and asked for a recall of all Samurai vehicles. The federal government later found that the Samurai was no worse than the average utility vehicle in its class.

From Taco Bell to Taco Viva, the message Tuesday was that hotter competition in the Mexican-American fast-food business is fine if it helps sell more tacos, burritos and refried beans. "I don't care about the competition--just as long as they advertise," said J. Brion Foulke III, chief executive of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Taco Viva, which has 60 restaurants in Florida. As word spread Tuesday that Del Taco and Naugles--No. 2 and No.

Suzuki--still struggling to regain respect from skeptical American car buyers--on Friday shuffled the keys to its estimated $20-million annual advertising business to Asher/Gould of Los Angeles. The account was one of the largest and most sought after on the West Coast. American Suzuki Motor Co.'