McDonald’s Exec Likely to Head Warner Unit

McDonald’s Corp. marketing executive Brad Ball is the front-runner to become head of marketing at troubled Warner Bros., studio sources confirm. He would replace Chris Pula, who was fired in December amid a dismal year by Warner’s usually successful film division, which was plagued by such duds as “Fathers’ Day,” “Mad City” and “The Postman.” Ball, whose potential move was reported in Advertising Age this week, would become the second top fast-food marketing executive in the last two years to move into a major studio marketing slot. Walt Disney Co. in 1996 hired Burger King’s John Cywinski as its film marketing chief. As senior vice president of marketing at McDonald’s USA, Ball has been in charge of domestic marketing for the burger chain. He joined McDonald’s in 1995 from Davis, Ball & Colombatto, a Los Angeles ad agency where he was co-president.