McCANN NZ SERIOUSLY DOWNSIZES, MOVES IN WITH FCB

FCB New Zealand will be supporting fellow Interpublic Group companies, advertising agency McCann Erickson and media services agency Universal McCann, in the New Zealand market. Effective 1 January 2006, the McCann businesses will relocate their operations to the offices of FCB in Auckland. FCB will provide managerial as well as infrastructural support.

Unlike McCanns, FCB has experienced significant growth in 2005 with a succession of new account wins including Prime Television, Pascoes and Prouds, Ministry of Education, Statistics New Zealand, Angus & Robertson, and NZ Steel. FCB’s operations will remain unaffected by the McCann relocation.

According to FCB New Zealand General Manager, Brian van den Hurk, FCB senior management welcomed the opportunity to work more collegially with the McCann Group, adding that the additional staff (only 10 out of 40 will survive from McCann) will be comfortably housed within FCB’s premises. The Universal McCann team in New Zealand will be led by Media Director Delwyn King.

McCann NZ CD Nic Harman (pictured) asked CB
to make it clear that “I was only ever
employed on a four-month contract, which
expires December 22”. He will, however,
stay on during the transition period.