News From the Advertising Industry

Accounts

â–  Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, Nashville, part of the Bridgestone Corporation, named Publicis Dallas â€" part of the Publicis in the USA unit of Publicis Worldwide, owned by the Publicis Groupe â€" as its lead creative and strategic agency. Spending was estimated at more than $40 million. The account had been handled by the Richards Group, Dallas, which will continue to handle sports marketing assignments through its sports marketing unit. The move came 15 months after Bridgestone Americas shifted the creative duties for its Firestone brands from Richards to Leo Burnett, Chicago, part of the Publicis Groupe.

â–  Proximo Spirits, Jersey City, selected agencies to handle the creative and media duties for Jose Cuervo tequila as Proximo assumes the duties of distributing the brand in the United States from Diageo. Spending last year by Diageo was estimated at more than $11 million. The creative account was awarded to McCann Erickson New York, part of the McCann Erickson Worldwide division of the McCann Worldgroup, which is owned by the Interpublic Group of Companies. The media account was awarded to Gotham Direct, New York.

■ Motorola Mobility, now a part of Google, named Droga5, New York, as creative agency of record, working with Digitas, part of the Publicis Groupe, which will assist with creative and strategic duties, the agency said. Spending was not disclosed. The initial campaign from Droga5, which was introduced last week, promoted the next Motorola smartphone, Moto X, as the first to be “designed, engineered and assembled in the USA.”

People

â–  Carlos Bayala, founding partner and executive creative director of Madre â€" the Buenos Aires office of Mother â€" was named to assume new duties at Mother, taking on a lead worldwide creative role as a global creative partner, working with the founders of Mother, Robert Saville and Mark Waites, as well as with Paul Malmstrom, partner at Mother New York. Mr. Bayala will also work on expanding Madre into other markets in Latin America.

Miscellany

â–  Two agencies that have been affiliated for several years, Muse Communications and Quantasy, Culver City, Calif., are combining operations. Shelley Yamane, president of Muse, and Will Campbell, chief executive of Quantasy, will run day-to-day operations as co-presidents. Jo Muse continues as chairman and chief executive of Muse.

■ Publicis Groupe, Paris, acquired Bosz Digital, San José, Costa Rica, and, subject to approval by the local authorities, Bosz Digital Colombia, Bogota. Financial terms were not disclosed.