O&M nets 33m Kodak branding

Ogilvy & Mather has won the $50m (33m) worldwide corporate branding account for Eastman Kodak (MW April 7) adding to the $15m (9.8m) digital and applied imaging business it won last year.

O&M’s win is a cruel blow to BBDO Worldwide which resigned the conflicting $30m (20m) Polaroid account after a late invitation to join the Kodak pitch.

Kodak says that the aim of the work is to produce a campaign demonstrating the company’s leadership in all forms of imaging.

The digital imaging account, already handled by O&M, involves Kodak’s latest technology and the company wants to emphasise its technological expertise.

The account will be handled out of O&M New York and agency sources suggest that Steve Hayden, president worldwide brand services on the IBM account, played a key role in winning the business.

Hayden has a good relationship with the chief marketing officer of Kodak, Carl Gustin, as well as Kodak’s consultant on the pitch John Sculley. Both men used to work for Apple Computer when Hayden worked at Apple roster agencies Chiat/Day and BBDO.

The assignment will have no effect on Kodak’s other roster agencies, J Walter Thompson and Young & Rubicam.

Kodak says that only O&M and BBDO Worldwide pitched for the business.

The account is likely to grow considerably in the future and a lot of activity will be centred around next year’s Olympic Games in Atlanta, US.