WPP appoints ex-Digitas executive as Dell agency head

WPP Group has appointed Torrence Boone (pictured), a former executive at Publicis-owned Digitas, to head the new global agency set-up to service Dell. Boone will join Project Da Vinci as chief executive next month.

Boone, previously Digitas Boston president, will report directly to WPP chief executive Sir Martin Sorrell, and will be based in New York.

Project Da Vinci will consolidate Dell’s worldwide marketing services, including advertising, media planning and buying and direct marketing, into one agency. It was previously handled by more than 800 companies.

WPP scooped the £2.2bn Dell global advertising account in December last year after a pitch against Interpublic Group. The appointment aimed to simplify Dell’s communications and advertising arrangements in a bid to raise its profile and help it compete head on with rivals such as Hewlett Packard.

Prior to joining Digitas in 2001, Boone was vice president and general manager for the interactive agency Avenue A.