Saatchi Saatchi

Saatchi & Saatchi is suggesting that it will remain independent as industry speculation about a possible takeover of the British media and advertising company continues. Saatchi & Saatchi shares surged 10% last week on rumors of a takeover by France's Havas Advertising. "Independence suits us," Saatchi & Saatchi Chief Executive Bob Seelert said. "We're highly charged. New business, margins and profits are all up, and the network has a fresh vibrancy about it."

France's Publicis joined the top league of the world's advertising industry as it announced the acquisition of Britain's Saatchi & Saatchi for $1.92 billion in stock and said it was still hungry for acquisitions. The deal will form the world's fifth-largest advertising group, with a market capitalization of $6.3 billion, and give Publicis vital access to the U.S. market, where Saatchi & Saatchi does half its business.

The London-based advertising agency said the outcome of the talks with the privately owned Ted Bates agency of New York "isn't currently known." If consummated, however, the merger of the two firms would create the largest advertising agency in the world, with combined billings of $6.5 billion. Saatchi's most famous British client is Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, whose public image has been molded by publicity experts from the firm.

In showcasing its new Echo vehicle at auto shows around the country last winter, Toyota Motor Corp. used in-your-face posters of pierced, head-shaved Gen-Xers to draw attention to it. But young adults who might have considered the bubble-shaped car were put off by the edgy ads. The experience taught Toyota--a reliable, slightly boring auto maker favored by baby boomers--about the dangers of trying too hard in its budding courtship of first-time car buyers.

Kevin Roberts, the new chief executive of Saatchi & Saatchi Worldwide, announced his first major management reshuffling. Scott Gilbert, chief executive of Team One Advertising in El Segundo, a unit of Saatchi & Saatchi, was named chief executive of the significantly larger Saatchi & Saatchi Pacific in Torrance, a key unit in the Saatchi empire because it handles the Toyota business. Gilbert replaces Joe Cronin, who has been assigned to oversee the Toyota and Lexus accounts full time.

Shares in the embattled advertising group Saatchi & Saatchi Co. rose 9% Monday, as an investment bank took a big stake and the company's board held a meeting that reportedly could lead to a new name. Saatchi & Saatchi was rocked last week by the departure of co-founder Maurice Saatchi, who cut all ties to the group after U.S. shareholders forced him out as chairman.

After an 11-year ride as Yamaha Motor Corp.'s advertising agency, Chiat/Day hit a brick wall on Wednesday. Yamaha dropped the Venice ad firm and handed its estimated $6-million motorcycle account to the Torrance-based agency, Saatchi & Saatchi DFS. Saatchi--which creates advertising for Toyota--already handles advertising for Yamaha's snowmobile division.

The advertising firm Saatchi & Saatchi has named Gregory J. Mazares vice president and director of marketing and corporate planning for its legal and scientific consulting division. Mazares will also oversee marketing and strategic planning for Litigation Sciences Inc., a jury research and trial consulting firm in Rolling Hills Estates and acquired by Saatchi & Saatchi in 1987.

Just six months after unveiling a slew of top management changes, Saatchi & Saatchi DFS/Pacific, the Torrance ad agency that creates ads for Toyota, has announced a new round of appointments. Among them, a new chairman of its West Coast operations was named. In an unusual move, Ed Wax, 53, who is already president and chief executive of New York-based Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising (North America), has also assumed the position as chairman of Saatchi & Saatchi DFS/Pacific.

NEW YORK Don't call them just ad agencies anymore. Aiming to broaden their services beyond their signature specialty, advertising firms increasingly are delving into areas such as direct marketing, strategic planning, interactive communications, public relations and even corporate logo design.

Saatchi & Saatchi is suggesting that it will remain independent as industry speculation about a possible takeover of the British media and advertising company continues. Saatchi & Saatchi shares surged 10% last week on rumors of a takeover by France's Havas Advertising. "Independence suits us," Saatchi & Saatchi Chief Executive Bob Seelert said. "We're highly charged. New business, margins and profits are all up, and the network has a fresh vibrancy about it."

Saatchi & Saatchi is developing and producing a public service advertising campaign for the organization of U.S. Catholic Bishops. The pro bono work is designed to "convince people of the power they have to forgive and, thereby, make a difference in their personal relationships," according to the U.S. Catholic Conference, the public policy agency of U.S. Bishops.

Hewlett-Packard recently debuted its broadest brand effort ever with its first business-to-business ad campaign. The focus of the campaign, created by the San Francisco office of Saatchi & Saatchi, is to show how Hewlett-Packard can enable companies to achieve the benefits of electronic business. In one of two humorous television spots, a golf-club maker struggles to deliver a new plan to a merchant.

Kevin Roberts, the new chief executive of Saatchi & Saatchi Worldwide, announced his first major management reshuffling. Scott Gilbert, chief executive of Team One Advertising in El Segundo, a unit of Saatchi & Saatchi, was named chief executive of the significantly larger Saatchi & Saatchi Pacific in Torrance, a key unit in the Saatchi empire because it handles the Toyota business. Gilbert replaces Joe Cronin, who has been assigned to oversee the Toyota and Lexus accounts full time.

Kevin Roberts, chief executive of the Saatchi & Saatchi Worldwide advertising agency, goes by the nickname "Rambo." When running a New Zealand brewing company in 1994, he had a lion devour a case of rival Foster's beer before a roomful of stunned stock analysts. Roberts, 47, hasn't pulled any stunts during his four months at Saatchi, an agency recovering from financial turmoil and management upheaval. Stay tuned.

New Legal Action in Saatchi Drama: The fighting between advertising executive Maurice Saatchi and his old firm intensified as Saatchi & Saatchi Co. took new legal action against Saatchi and his brother, Charles. Saatchi & Saatchi began British legal proceedings that attempt to recover profits, reported at around $40 million, the brothers made from an investment in the German sportswear company Adidas in February, 1993.

DuPont Co. said that it would cut more than 2,800 jobs as part of a consolidation of its nylon business that will shift much of the work to more efficient machines. . . . Jennifer Laing has been appointed chief executive of Saatchi & Saatchi, North America. . . . AT&T Corp. has decided to give all 127,000 of its employees a paid day off for volunteer work over the next year, the largest and most public corporate commitment so far to the growing community-service movement.

Saatchi Feud Settled: The Saatchi versus Saatchi soap opera appears to have aired its final episode for now. An out-of-court peacemaking deal will let several colleagues join forces with Maurice Saatchi to compete against their old agency. But he and brother Charles will not be permitted to call their company the New Saatchi Agency. Instead they will use the name M-and-C Saatchi Agency.