WPP is folding Enfatico, the agency that it built to combine Dell’s agency relationships under one umbrella, into its Young & Rubicam Brands ad firm, according to the agency.
Enfatico will continue to exist, but will operate as a division of Y&R, and Y&R Advertising also will work on the Dell account. According to sources, Torrence Boone, Enfatico’s CEO, will report to Y&R Brands chief executive Peter Stringham. Previously, Boone had reported to WPP chief Martin Sorrell.
“This move responds to the current economic environment by allowing Enfatico to tap Young & Rubicam Brand’s available resources for Dell and other clients,” said an official statement issued by Enfatico. “Enfatico remains a standalone brand alongside Young & Rubicam Brand’s other companies, including Y&R, Wunderman, Burson-Marsteller, Landor and others. Dell and WPP have reinforced their commitment to the Enfatico model of integration across marketing disciplines.”
Enfatico was born as Project Da Vinci in December 2007 under the direction of Casey Jones, former VP of global marketing at Dell until he left in November 2008. The agency was designed to help Dell reign in its 800 agency relationships to streamline its advertising and marketing efforts.
Since Enfatico was formed, it is credited with creating two campaigns for Dell. The first was launched last year in India and is called “I choose my own path. I choose Dell.” The second was a US campaign for the new Dell Adamo, thin laptop, which launched in March.
This news comes after Enfatico laid off about 8% of its workforce earlier this year. It also comes after Enfatico, which also was pitching other accounts, was rumored to have lost the Vonage Holdings account, which was won by TBWAChiatDay New York and PHD. The agency would not comment on speculation over further job cuts.
