Ad Agency Will Close Irvine Office, Transfer Workers

An international advertising agency that lost a major automobile contract is closing its Irvine office, but its 15 employees will still have jobs at another major ad agency.

CME-KHBB said Monday it is transferring the employees, as well as 265 other employees at its Detroit office and 22 at field offices nationwide, to the Bozell Worldwide agency at the end of the year.

Minneapolis-based CME, with offices throughout the nation, Canada and Europe, lost a Jeep/Eagle account worth $135 million in annual billings to Bozell after Chrysler Corp. in Detroit decided to consolidate its advertising jobs with one firm.

It was unclear Monday whether the employees at the Irvine office would remain in an Orange County office or would be transferred to Bozell’s Los Angeles office.