President Is Out at L.A.’s BBDO Ad Agency

Gene Cameron, 46, president and chief executive of BBDO/Los Angeles, has been fired as part of a downsizing at the troubled ad agency.

Steve Hayden, 44, chairman and creative head of the office, has been handed the chief executive title.

The office has lost key clients over the past year--most recently the Sizzler advertising business. In the past two weeks, it has laid off 22 employees. Many of its major clients, including Apple Computer and Glendale Federal Bank, have slashed their ad budgets.

“When you have a big hit like losing Sizzler, you’ve got two ways to go,” Hayden said. “You can lay off all the people who are doing the work--and keep your stars--or you can keep the core teams in place and let go of the leadership.”

The agency’s annual billings have dropped to $140 million from $170 million in 1991.

Cameron had been BBDO’s chief executive more than four years. He said he may look for a position outside the agency business. At one time, Cameron and Hayden worked together on some of Apple’s most provocative advertising at the Venice-based agency Chiat/Day/Mojo.