Salvati Montgomery Sakoda Inc

Salvati Montgomery Sakoda, one of Orange County's largest independent advertising agencies, said Monday that it has agreed to merge with one of the industry's biggest companies, Bozell Worldwide. The transaction marks the second time that Bozell has established a foothold in Orange County, where a number of major agencies have come and gone. The deal merges Salvati's 50-member office with the 70-member staff of Bozell's Los Angeles office.

For the advertising firms of deYoung Ginsberg Weisman Bailey of Irvine and Salvati Montgomery Sakoda Inc. of Costa Mesa, Orange County's 32nd annual AdClub AdAwards on Saturday night was a repeat performance with a slight twist. Last year, not only did the two agencies take home the most honors, but dGWB also received almost twice as many awards as Salvati Montgomery. This year, dGWB was again the biggest winner with 65 honors, but Salvati Montgomery gained ground with 46 awards.

Ad agency Basso & Associates, which will lose Thrifty Drug Store as a client in November, is now seeing another account slip away. Krause's Sofa Factory, a five-year Basso client, is taking the creative portion of its budget--$750,000, according to industry estimates--to rival Costa Mesa agency Salvati Montgomery Sakoda.

For years, the advertising industry meant Madison Avenue. New York. The Big Apple. That made Los Angeles pretty much the tail on the dog. And that made Orange County the flea on the tail of the dog. No more. These days, Orange County-based ad agencies say they are holding their own against the big boys. Major companies arriving to establish corporate headquarters in such places as Irvine and Newport Beach have brought hefty accounts with them.

If Salvati Montgomery Sakoda had a company motto, it might be this: "If at first you don't succeed, try again in about two years." The Costa Mesa advertising agency, which was a runner-up about two years ago for a lucrative PacTel Cellular/Los Angeles account, has wrested the account and its more than $6 million in annual billings from Wakeman & deForrest, an Irvine ad agency.

It's not every day that a local ad agency has its design work televised on ESPN--for free. Salvati Montgomery Sakoda in Costa Mesa has designed the decorative image that will cover the parquet floor for the Anaheim Arena. The floor is due to be installed in time for a Sunday event called "Battle of the Basketball Stars," which is scheduled to be broadcast on ESPN, the all-sports cable channel. The design is in forest green and salmon, with a stylized Anaheim in the center.

Ad agency Basso & Associates, which will lose Thrifty Drug Store as a client in November, is now seeing another account slip away. Krause's Sofa Factory, a five-year Basso client, is taking the creative portion of its budget--$750,000, according to industry estimates--to rival Costa Mesa agency Salvati Montgomery Sakoda.

Yamaha Corp. of America has chosen a new advertising agency to promote its Disklavier electronic player piano and other keyboard products. The company chose Costa Mesa's Salvati Montgomery Sakoda agency to handle the keyboard division account, estimated by AdWeek magazine to be worth $2.5 million a year. The Yamaha account, now held by LinkFreeman in Chicago, had been in review for about two months, said Dan Pittman, a spokesman for Salvati Montgomery Sakoda.

Salvati Montgomery Sakoda, one of Orange County's largest independent advertising agencies, said Monday that it has agreed to merge with one of the industry's biggest companies, Bozell Worldwide. The transaction marks the second time that Bozell has established a foothold in Orange County, where a number of major agencies have come and gone. The deal merges Salvati's 50-member office with the 70-member staff of Bozell's Los Angeles office.

Taylor Made Golf Co., a Carlsbad manufacturer of golf equipment and accessories, has chosen Costa Mesa ad agency Salvati Montgomery Sakoda to handle its $5.2-million account. For the past three years the account had been with Venice's famed Chiat/Day, but that agency was not among the finalists this year. Taylor Made's marketing vice president, George Montgomery, said the parting with Chiat/Day was amicable.

It's not every day that a local ad agency has its design work televised on ESPN--for free. Salvati Montgomery Sakoda in Costa Mesa has designed the decorative image that will cover the parquet floor for the Anaheim Arena. The floor is due to be installed in time for a Sunday event called "Battle of the Basketball Stars," which is scheduled to be broadcast on ESPN, the all-sports cable channel. The design is in forest green and salmon, with a stylized Anaheim in the center.

Yamaha Corp. of America has chosen a new advertising agency to promote its Disklavier electronic player piano and other keyboard products. The company chose Costa Mesa's Salvati Montgomery Sakoda agency to handle the keyboard division account, estimated by AdWeek magazine to be worth $2.5 million a year. The Yamaha account, now held by LinkFreeman in Chicago, had been in review for about two months, said Dan Pittman, a spokesman for Salvati Montgomery Sakoda.

Dimension Cable Services confirmed Tuesday that it will not renew its contract with Salvati Montgomery Sakoda, the Costa Mesa advertising agency that has handled its $4-million account since 1990. Susan Ritchie, a Dimension Cable spokeswoman, would not say why the cable TV company, a subsidiary of Times Mirror Co. in Los Angeles, is making a change. The account has been in review since December, she said, but no new agency has been chosen yet.

Ad agency Salvati Montgomery Sakoda is losing both a vice president and a large chunk of business. Greg Smith is leaving his job at the Costa Mesa-based agency to work as a business consultant and college teacher. Separately, one of the agency's largest clients, Valley National Bank Corp. in Arizona, will move most of its business to another agency after the first quarter, said Dan Pittman, a vice president with Salvati. Banc One Corp.

If Salvati Montgomery Sakoda had a company motto, it might be this: "If at first you don't succeed, try again in about two years." The Costa Mesa advertising agency, which was a runner-up about two years ago for a lucrative PacTel Cellular/Los Angeles account, has wrested the account and its more than $6 million in annual billings from Wakeman & deForrest, an Irvine ad agency.

Ad agency Salvati Montgomery Sakoda is losing both a vice president and a large chunk of business. Greg Smith is leaving his job at the Costa Mesa-based agency to work as a business consultant and college teacher. Separately, one of the agency's largest clients, Valley National Bank Corp. in Arizona, will move most of its business to another agency after the first quarter, said Dan Pittman, a vice president with Salvati. Banc One Corp.

Dimension Cable Services confirmed Tuesday that it will not renew its contract with Salvati Montgomery Sakoda, the Costa Mesa advertising agency that has handled its $4-million account since 1990. Susan Ritchie, a Dimension Cable spokeswoman, would not say why the cable TV company, a subsidiary of Times Mirror Co. in Los Angeles, is making a change. The account has been in review since December, she said, but no new agency has been chosen yet.

For years, the advertising industry meant Madison Avenue. New York. The Big Apple. That made Los Angeles pretty much the tail on the dog. And that made Orange County the flea on the tail of the dog. No more. These days, Orange County-based ad agencies say they are holding their own against the big boys. Major companies arriving to establish corporate headquarters in such places as Irvine and Newport Beach have brought hefty accounts with them.