Reebok draws up shortlist for 88m global business

Reebok’s international marketing chiefs are meeting in Atlanta this week to draw up a shortlist for its $140m (88m) global account.

Leo Burnett resigned the $50m (31m) US account last week but individual Burnett agencies in another 22 markets will make their own decisions about continuing to work on the account.

The meeting was originally intended for the discussion of global advertising, marketing and branding strategies.

Burnett resigned after Reebok handed the small Boston-based agency Heater a brief to handle a “global assignment”, which will be unveiled later this year.

Richard Fizdale, Burnett’s chairman and chief executive, says Reebok’s “philosophies towards partnership and marketing were out of sync” with the agency’s. Burnett was originally handed the consolidated global account in 1993, covering all US and pan-European advertising. It replaces Chiat Day (now TBWA) and EURO RSCG. Its work covered over 25 different markets.

The Interpublic-owned Lowe Group, which handles the UK creative account, is understood to have met Reebok this week.

Reebok is also believed to be recruiting a media agency for its 4m pan-European account.

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