Reebok Picks Infiniti Ad Producer as New Agency

Reebok International on Monday awarded its estimated $40-million advertising account to Hill, Holliday, Connors, Cosmopulos, the Boston-based agency that created the controversial campaign for Infiniti cars.

Hill Holliday replaces Los Angeles-based Chiat/Day/Mojo, which in February announced that it and Reebok had agreed to break off their three-year relationship. Chiat/Day/Mojo, which will continue to handle Reebok’s international advertising, was later asked to submit a presentation, said an agency spokesman in New York.

Hill Holliday President Jack Sansolo, who was visiting the agency’s Los Angeles office on Monday, said his firm’s presentation to Reebok called for a significantly different campaign than that created by Chiat/Day/Mojo. But he would not reveal any details of the new advertising, which is scheduled to break during the back-to-school season.

Reebok “was looking for the best work that would take them over the long term,” said Sansolo. “Everyone here is very excited.”

Reebok will become one of Hill Holliday’s three largest accounts, which include Hyatt Corp. and Infiniti, Nissan Motor Co.’s new luxury automobile division. The agency’s campaign to introduce Infiniti created a stir because it featured images of forests, streams and rocks, but no cars. More recent ads feature the automobile.

Other firms competing for the Reebok account included Levine, Huntley, Schmidt & Beaver; Waring & LaRosa, and DDB Needham Worldwide.