Bear Advertising Buys Calabasas Ad Agency

Bear Advertising of Westlake Village has acquired Leunis Inc., a Calabasas advertising agency.

The acquisition will allow Bear Advertising, which has focused on the outdoor sports market, to expand its account base to include travel and tourism clientele, officials said.

Bear, which had billings of more than $10 million in 1995, has developed advertising and public relations campaigns for some of the world’s top outdoor-related products, including Suzuki Marine outboard motors, Furuno USA marine electronics and Penn Fishing Tackle.

Marc Leunis will assume the duties of vice president and creative director for Bear. His clients include Singapore Airlines, Australian Travel Headquarters, the South Australian Tourist Commission and the Pasadena Convention & Visitors Bureau.

The first major advertising project for the newly formed alliance will be the launch of the Oskar J’s Red Car Trolley, a network of old-style trolley cars that will shuttle tourists and visitors throughout Los Angeles.