Alfa Romeo appoints Krow for Brera launch

Krow, the start-up launched last year by former D’Arcy chiefs Barry Cook and Nick Hastings, has been chosen to handle the launch of the Alfa Romeo Brera.

It is understood the agency won the business following a pitch against Mother and incumbent United – formerly known as HHCL.

Alfa called the pitch last month (MW January 19) ahead of the UK launch of the car, which takes its name from an upmarket suburb in Milan, in April.

United, which remains Alfa Romeo’s retained pan-European agency, lost out to Italian agency Armando Testa last year on the global launch of Alfa’s 159 model (MW July 21, 2005).

However, it is understood that United has since picked up the business following a five-way pitch in Italy last week.

Alfa Romeo appointed Nicholas Bernard as its UK marketing director last month, just seven months after the role was scrapped.

His predecessor Jeff Culkin left the company last year (MW May 26, 2005).

Cook and Hastings, the former executive creative director of Euro RSCG, launched Krow, which is “work” spelt backwards, in September last year with John Quarrey, the former chief executive of direct marketing network Arc Worldwide, and Malcolm White, Euro RSCG’s former planning director.

D’Arcy was merged with Leo Burnett in 2002 after it was acquired by Publicis Groupe.

Cook, who was D’Arcy’s managing director, continued as managing director and chairman of Leo Burnett until 2004.

Neither Krow nor Alfa Romeo would comment on the appointment.