Ogilvy Group Inc

The auto maker said it will reassign advertising for nine of its European affiliates to Ogilvy Group Inc. and for Ford's Canadian division advertising to Young & Rubicam Inc. This marks the first client defection since London-based WPP Group PLC agreed to acquire JWT Group last week. The 10 Ford accounts are believed to represent nearly one-third of Ford's estimated $350-million account with the J. Walter Thompson advertising agency, a division of JWT.

After shunning its eager British suitor for more than a week, the Ogilvy Group confirmed Friday that it had finally begun talks with WPP Group. The breakthrough came after the marketing giant said it was prepared to increase its $800-million bid for the parent of advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather. Ogilvy executives--who have steadfastly insisted that they want the agency to remain independent--still say the talks may not produce an agreement. But industry analysts now speculate that Ogilvy's management may reluctantly approve an offer of $860 million to $900 million for the agency--perhaps as early as Monday.

After shunning its eager British suitor for more than a week, the Ogilvy Group confirmed Friday that it had finally begun talks with WPP Group. The breakthrough came after the marketing giant said it was prepared to increase its $800-million bid for the parent of advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather. Ogilvy executives--who have steadfastly insisted that they want the agency to remain independent--still say the talks may not produce an agreement. But industry analysts now speculate that Ogilvy's management may reluctantly approve an offer of $860 million to $900 million for the agency--perhaps as early as Monday.

Shares of Ogilvy Group jumped more than $17 Monday following an unsolicited $725-million bid for the New York advertising concern by the British firm WPP Group. If an acquisition eventually does take place--as many analysts predict it will--Ogilvy would join the growing list of major U.S. advertising agencies that have fallen into British hands. This despite a letter sent Sunday by Kenneth Roman, chairman and chief executive of Ogilvy, to WPP chief Martin S. Sorrell, which stated: "Ogilvy and WPP have fundamentally different strategies and goals."

Shares of Ogilvy Group jumped more than $17 Monday following an unsolicited $725-million bid for the New York advertising concern by the British firm WPP Group. If an acquisition eventually does take place--as many analysts predict it will--Ogilvy would join the growing list of major U.S. advertising agencies that have fallen into British hands. This despite a letter sent Sunday by Kenneth Roman, chairman and chief executive of Ogilvy, to WPP chief Martin S. Sorrell, which stated: "Ogilvy and WPP have fundamentally different strategies and goals."

Ogilvy Group Inc. today said that it has begun talks with Britain's WPP Group PLC, which has made a $50-a-share takeover offer for the American advertising company and has indicated its willingness to increase the bid. Ogilvy said there is no guarantee that the discussions will produce an agreement on WPP acquiring Ogilvy, the world's fifth-largest advertising concern based on 1988 billings. Takeover speculators on Wall Street have expected WPP to make a more generous offer.

Report Says WPP May Raise Ogilvy Bid: WPP Group, the British advertising agency, has told Ogilvy Group Inc. that it is willing to raise its $725-million offer for the U.S. ad agency, Wall Street sources said. Reuters reported that the sources said WPP has informed Ogilvy, parent of Ogilvy & Mather, that it might raise its offer to as high as $50 a share, or more than $800 million, from $45 a share. Officials for WPP in London and for Ogilvy in New York could not be reached immediately for comment.

The price of Ogilvy Group Inc. stock soared $16 a share in early trading on Wall Street today after the U.S. advertising company gave a cool response to a $725-million takeover offer from Britain's WPP Group PLC. The combination of the two would create an advertising giant second only to London-based Saatchi & Saatchi PLC among world advertising companies. (Story, Part IV, Page 1.) The strong trading on Wall Street indicated a belief that a higher offer will emerge for Ogilvy.

WPP Group PLC, making a big pitch to win Ogilvy Group Inc., today raised its buyout proposal for the reluctant advertising firm to $800 million from the previous $725 million. WPP, the parent of J. Walter Thompson, sweetened its buyout proposal by $5 per share to $50. The previous bid worked out to $725 million. Ogilvy, which has been critical of WPP's takeover effort, said in a statement that it had been notified of the higher proposal and that it will "be considered by Ogilvy in a proper manner and in due course."

The auto maker said it will reassign advertising for nine of its European affiliates to Ogilvy Group Inc. and for Ford's Canadian division advertising to Young & Rubicam Inc. This marks the first client defection since London-based WPP Group PLC agreed to acquire JWT Group last week. The 10 Ford accounts are believed to represent nearly one-third of Ford's estimated $350-million account with the J. Walter Thompson advertising agency, a division of JWT.

The giant advertising firm that has had just three leaders since it was founded 40 years ago by British advertising legend David Ogilvy, has named its fourth. William E. Phillips, 58, plans to step down as chairman and chief executive of Ogilvy Group Inc. in May. Kenneth Roman, 57, who has been chairman of Ogilvy Group's largest operating company, will succeed Phillips in both posts. Roman will continue as chairman of Ogilvy & Mather.

Sorry, Spuds MacKenzie. Nothing personal, dancing raisins. No harm meant, Domino's Noid. Those off-the-wall commercial creations may have caught the fancy of TV viewers nationwide, but the favorite of some top New York ad executives wasn't made of clay, nor can it stand on four feet and wag its beer-soaked tail. Instead, they said, the best campaign of 1987 featured a human being: Michael J.