Grey Moving Ad Team to Huntington
Grey Advertising is moving the heart of its creative team for Mitsubishi Motor Sales of America from New York to Huntington Beach.
At the same time, the 50-person Huntington Beach office will become an autonomous, wholly owned subsidiary of Grey Advertising and will change its name to G2.
“A substantial part of our efforts, the creative part, was being done in New York,” said David A. Stickels, creative director for the account in New York and now president of G2. “It got to the point where it was inappropriate. It was unwieldy getting everyone together.”
For the top agency official to come from the creative side of the business is unusual. Stickels said he hopes the reorganization will bring focus and agility to the account.
Mitsubishi, the No. 5 Japanese car vendor in America, reportedly spends $100 million a year in advertising here. It recently brought in a new management team in Japan and, two weeks ago, laid off 50 people in the United States, or almost 10% of its work force in this country. Most were middle managers.
There will be no layoffs in Huntington Beach, Stickels said. In fact, G2 may grow and take on new clients. The office was opened in 1985 to service Mitsubishi’s American headquarters in Cypress, but the idea center has been in New York.
Other Japanese and Korean car makers have full-service agencies based in Southern California.
Stickels joined Grey Advertising in 1988 to introduce Mitsubishi’s Eclipse, a two-door sports coupe that is one of the car maker’s best sellers. Stickels’ creative team is responsible for the TV ad that shows a red-dipped paintbrush coloring one of Mitsubishi’s three diamonds.
The memorable ad brought Mitsubishi a new level of brand awareness, Stickels said, adding that his research shows the logo is now more recognizable than that of Toyota, the No. 1 Japanese car vendor in America.
Joining Stickels in Huntington Beach will be Ed Hannibal, associate creative director for the Mitsubishi account in New York. He will serve as senior vice president and creative director of G2. Another executive not yet identified will be moving from New York, Stickels said.
G2’s management lineup from the ranks of the Huntington Beach office include John Miley, executive vice president and director of planning and strategic services; Kevin Kitagawa, senior vice president and director of client services, and Nora Wendel, senior vice president and director of media services.
The agency’s next project is introducing the second-generation Eclipse, which will be released next summer, Stickels said. G2 will also work to promote a high-tech image for Mitsubishi, which makes sophisticated components for other car makers, including Porsche.
G2 will report to Grey’s board of directors. The New York-based agency has 232 offices in 45 countries, and reported billings of $4.5 billion worldwide for 1992.
