Front Office

Overland Agency Gets Small with Seven Daveys
The Overland Agency has been awarded seven International Davey Awards for its interactive, multimedia, and print creations. The awards won are as follows: Gold Award for Print and Collateral: IQ Academies, "Day at the Dells"; Silver Awards for Websites/Online Marketing: Campbell Pet Company, Stonebridge Life Insurance, Soloflex, Extensis (two awards), Silver Award for Film and Video: Reel World Productions. The Daveys, partially underwritten by ADWEEK and Fortune Small Business, honor little agencies with big ideas.

Maxwell PR Expands Client Roster by Five
Maxwell PR has been tasked with a wide array of work -- from brand awareness to market launches -- on behalf of five new clients. Artemis Foods, a sustainable catering business, has turned to Maxwell PR to increase visibility, create growth and fuel planned future ventures. Sustainable energy advocates Bonneville Environmental Foundation came to Maxwell PR to create a consistent brand identity across all of its Green Tag marketing efforts and to increase awareness of the organization's SkiGreen initiative. The firm was retained by sports drink company Gleukos, Inc. to build regional and national brand awareness and to launch new products as they are created. Colorado-based restaurant chain Noodles & Company called upon Maxwell to create awareness of the restaurant's Portland-area market launch, including the opening of four area locations by early 2007. Maxwell PR is working to generate media coverage of Seventh Generation's Tampontification Tour, which kicked off October 12 with two women, a.k.a. the Mission Fairies, with a full periodic table of events, including talking with women (and men!) about menstruation.

eROI Closes Year with 99 New Clients in 2006...
For most of Fourth Quarter 2006, eROI President Ryan Buchanan must have sounded like a broken record. Staff members recall that he would pound the conference room table demanding that they bring in yet another project. An email one-off. A mini-page site refresh. Whatever. It became a mere numbers game. He OK'd pro-bono work that would even send Art Institute students howling. "We must land more accounts than Anvil!" he would hiss through slitted eyes and clenched fists. Recently eROI has started working Datran Media, Modern Luxury Media, BecomeX, Voxpath, Point West, Stars Antiques, Interdisciplinary Art Center, Lawyers Weekly, Inc. and KPTV Fox 12 News. To focus on one, eROI was tapped by Oregon Sports Authority to produce a new website for the group. This site includes blogging, registration, an event calendar based on the seven regions of Oregon and focuses on three separate user groups with the main theme of bringing top quality sporting events to the state of Oregon. But at the end of the day it just wasn't enough to beat Anvil Media's client acquisition efforts, and their new client list fell short of their nemesis' by one.

...But Anvil Media Does them One Better, Lands 100
Leaning back in his Aeron chair and lighting a clove cigarette with a Thai 1000 Baht note (US $28.02), Anvil Media's Kent Lewis reflected upon his rivals at eROI. "It was a good year for both of us," he cooed, brushing a smoke ring aside with the back of his hand. Lewis had just received the final report on their respective companies' client lists. In 2006, Anvil helped more than 100 companies increase awareness, leads or sales using search engine optimization and marketing strategies. New clients in November included Blue Lake Children's Publishing, Hyperlocal Media, ad agency North and wellness center root whole body. Anvil also added five new employees since the summer: Jay Leary, Rachel Andersen, Mari Hickmann, Levan Marman and Paul Biggs. With nearly two years of previous SEM experience on average, the new team members will contribute significantly to Anvil's collective expertise. The firm recently announced today that it is on track to double revenue in 2006. The increase in revenue was driven by a variety of factors, including increased demand for current services, new service offerings, expanded strategic partnerships and an ability to identify and retain experienced talent. eROI's Buchanan was unavailable for comment.

Gunz Communications Goes Drinking
Copywriting and brand management firm Gunz Communications has been selected by Palimpsest Wines and Spirits as its creative agency of record. The new beverage company, which produces vodka infusions, aperitifs and cocktail mixers, chose Gunz for end-to-end management of its brand, including development of its brand and marketing strategy, as well as product naming and development of its labels, website, collateral and other marketing tools. While Gunz will produce key messaging and copy for the client, it will leverage existing relationships to implement its direction for design, production, database management and other key brand and marketing elements.

Insightful Ad News Analysis

Stumbling around after the Roseys, empty airplane bottles of Yazi Ginger Vodka bristling from my pockets, I ended up at 52 Ltd.'s after-party. PAF board member Scott Huber was there too, camera in hand, to finish the paparazzi work he started at the Armory Theater. Photos suitable for a family newsletter like this one appear throughout this issue. The others are being held in a safe place, pending your cash-only contributions to the PAF Education Fund. If you still want to weigh in with the FTC regarding their proposal to audit food companies' child-targeted marketing strategies, there's still time. Send them your comments by December 21 and help shape this new policy.

Joel Gunz















Rebecca Armstrong, me, Steve Sandstrom












Dirty Martini















The beautiful people (as well as a few damned) in the Armory's foyer.

Blogs I'm Reading

Podcasts, actually. But they're kind of the same.

ClickZ's Pete Lerma has compiled a list of his favorite marketing podcasts. Valued for their convenience (he suggests that you listen to them during your commute or workout), they can help you stay abreast of industry trends and news while avoiding the self-reflection that once occupied your morning drive. The links below take you to iTunes.

Joseph Jaffe's Across the Sound delves into the latest intelligence on new media.

Created by AdAge Executive Producer Hoag Levins, Why it Matters features interviews with AdAge writers and other industry experts.

What it lacks in regularity, iMedia Connection makes up in delivering useful information on such topics as online media measuring and the future of advergaming.

Joel Gunz

HR Department

Ralston360 Strenthens Prague-Bend Bonds
Bend, Oregon-based ad agency Ralston360 has hired two new employees. Michelle Braunsten has joined the firm as Account Executive. She previously served as a consultant with Booz Allen Hamilton in New York and holds a Masters Degree from New York University. The agency has also named Petra Sokolova as Production Coordinator. Sokolova brings extensive experience in graphics and art department management to the position. She previously owned her own agency in Olympia, Washington. A native of Prague, Sokolova is a graduate of the Institute of Packaging Technlology in the Czech Republic. She also holds an Associate Degree from Highline Community College in Seattle.

Coates Kokes Recruits Account Planner
Ad agency Coates Kokes recently added the account planning talents of Jason Resch to its team. Resch earned his MBA from Marylhurst University and has done freelance work for Rumblefish, Red Bull and Umpqua Bank. In addition, Resch continues to instruct marketing and branding courses at the Pacific Northwest College of Art and the Art Institute of Portland.

Henry V Announces Four New Hires, One Returnee
Experiential marketing agency Henry V today announced the addition of Katja Asaro, CMP, as Managing Director, Sales. She returns to Henry V after a year in South East Asia. Katja's 17-year career encompasses large-scale events including the 2001 International Techno Music Awards. Katja is active in local and national industry associations such as the American Marketing Association and Meeting Planners International. Henry V has also added four new sales, marketing, and creative professionals to its staff. Kristin Kaiser hails from Detroit and has joined the agency as Account Supervisor. Kristin's prior experience is with Creative Solutions Group in Michigan. Jessica Legg has joined the agency as Business Development Manager. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business Management from Concordia University and an MBA from Portland State University. She is a member of both Mensa and the Association of Catering and Event Professionals. Julie Eggers, Graphic Artist, brings more than a decade of graphic design experience creating a wide variety of design products for such brands as Nike, Intel, Power Bar and Dark Horse Comics. Andrea Boitano has joined the agency as a Production Assistant. A recent graduate of Oregon State University with a major in Merchandising Management, Andrea served as President of OSU's Fashion Group International.