Sears, Roebuck and Co. will consolidate all advertising for the retailer and its brands under one agency, Young & Rubicam, the Hoffman Estates-based subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corp. said late Monday.
The decision leaves longtime Sears advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather out in the cold.
The account had been in review for a month, during which time Sears asked its two principal agencies — Y&R and O&M — for proposals to integrate the account and improve speed to market. Both agencies are part of the advertising holding company WPP Group.
“The single-mindedness with which we are pursuing our goal of restoring Sears to preeminence requires a similar focus in our agency partnerships,” Luis Padilla, president of merchandising and marketing for retail at Sears, said in a statement.
Sears spent $650 million on ads last year and $200 million through May, according to reports. The agreement with Y&R does not cover media planning or buying, which will stay at MindShare, according to reports.
In July, Sears named Joan Chow senior vice president and chief marketing officer of retail.
Chantal Todé covers catalog and retail news and BTB marketing for DM News and DM News.com. To keep up with the latest developments in these areas, subscribe to our daily and weekly e-mail newsletters by visiting www.dmnews.com/newsletters
