MAM
Sears, Roebuck & Co. severs 43-year old tie with O&M; consolidates account with Y&R
MUMBAI: Sears, Roebuck and Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corporation, has decided to move away from its 43-year long creative agency Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide. The company will now be consolidating all advertising for the retailer and its brands under one agency — Young & Rubicam, which is also a member of the WPP Group like O&M.
The new arrangement will come into effect from 1 October, 2005 and is designed to deliver a more focused and consistent brand message to customers. The account is pegged at $640 million.
The announcement follows agency presentations, during which Sears, Roebuck asked its two principal agencies, Y&R and O&M Worldwide, for proposals to integrate the account and reinvent the collaborative process to enhance value and improve speed to market.
“The single-mindedness with which we are pursuing our goal of restoring Sears to preeminence requires a similar focus in our agency partnerships,” said Sears Retail president of merchandising and marketing Luis Padilla.
“Both firms presented persuasive proposals, but we are in constant pursuit of new approaches to better connect with and profitably serve customers as one company with extensive capabilities,” Padilla added.
Under a service agreement between Sears and Y&R, the marketing communications agency will have advertising responsibility for the Kenmore, Craftsman and DieHard brands, as well as non-product Sears, Roebuck and Co. advertising. This includes broadcast creative and production, motor sports, multicultural marketing, customer relationship management and thought leadership. The agreement does not cover media planning or buying, which will continue to be with MindShare.
AD Agencies
Prakash Nair reportedly quits Ogilvy after 23 years
One of the agency’s longest-serving leaders has moved on, with his next destination still unknown
MUMBAI: After more than two decades at one address, Prakash Nair has left the building. The president and head of office, north at Ogilvy has moved on from the agency, according to highly placed industry sources. His next move remains unknown. Ogilvy did not respond to requests for comment.
Nair spent over 23 years at the agency, making him one of its longest-serving senior figures. He was elevated to lead the Gurugram office in April 2022, a role that put him at the helm of Ogilvy’s northern operations at a time of considerable churn across the advertising industry.
Before taking charge in the capital, Nair served as associate president at Ogilvy Mumbai, where he worked on some of the agency’s most prized accounts, including Mondelez, Tata Motors, and BP Castrol. Over the years, he built a reputation for driving modern, integrated, and award-winning work, the kind that wins metals at Cannes and keeps clients from straying.
His departure was marked in style. A farewell gathering was held in Delhi, attended by senior figures from across the advertising fraternity, a signal of the regard in which Nair is held in an industry that does not always pause to say goodbye properly.
Where he goes next is the question the industry is now asking. After 23 years at one of the world’s most storied agencies, the answer, when it comes, will be worth watching.
