Headquarters to Be in L.A. : Cochrane Chase Agency Merged Into New York Firm

Cochrane Chase, Livingston & Co., one of Orange County’s best-known advertising agencies, said Thursday that it has merged into the West Coast offices of AC&R;/DHB & Bess, a New York agency.

The combined operation will have its headquarters in Los Angeles and will have billings in excess of $100 million, according to Patrick H. King, the AC&R; executive named chairman of the combined operation, which will be called AC&R;/CCL.

Cochrane Chase, 56, a founder of the Orange County firm, said he will retire at the end of the year but remain as a consultant to the merged firm.

The Cochrane Chase firm employs a total of 100 workers at its Irvine headquarters and Los Angeles office. Its Los Angeles office will be closed, but President Lynn Livingston said there would be no layoffs at either agency.

Cochrane Chase and AC&R; both are owned by London-based Saatchi & Saatchi, which controls other agencies in Southern California.

King said executives at both agencies decided to merge “because it makes sense. Our strengths will benefit each other.”

Cochrane Chase announced plans last July to merge with the Orange County office of Backer Spielvogel Bates, another Saatchi & Saatchi agency. That deal was called off a month later when executives of both agencies concluded that Backer’s primary account, Hyundai, might conflict with a Cochrane Chase account for Chevrolet auto dealers.

King said the merger with his agency will not create a conflict problem.

Cochrane Chase’s clients include PacifiCare, a health maintenance organization, and Pirelli Tire.

AC&R;’s most prominent Western accounts include NBC and Brown Jordan Furniture.

Executives at other ad agencies said it is doubtful that the merger will send clients shopping for a new agency.

“If anything, this will strengthen their position,” said Scott Montgomery, vice president of Salvati Montgomery Sakoda in Santa Ana.