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J&J US media for IPG’s UM, Whyte for Posterscope, Lloyds dithers about £100m account

*Johnson & Johnson is moving its US media buying business back to J3, a J&J-dedicated unit of Interpublic’s UM that currently handles planning. The business moves from Omnicom’s OMD which won J&J’s mostly healthcare global media a year ago. Which isn’t very reassuring for OMD.

This is just the latest in the current round of mega-media reviews but it’s the second one that UM has won, after $400m Coca-Cola in the US. It’s also lost business.

Still, it’s a result for UM and IPG. We’ll bring you an update on who’s winning and who’s losing all this stuff in due course. P&G US, VW and Sony are due to deliver some time in October.

*Stephen Whyte, former CEO of Leo Burnett and McCann in the UK, and an old BBH hand, has re-emerged as UK CEO of Aegis-owned Out of Home specialist agency Posterscope. The formidable Annie Rickard, Posterscope’s long time boss, is moving up to chairman (Annie’s got the balls to be a chairman).

SW-Square-300x300Since leaving McCann Whyte (left) has been CEO of Parity Digital and Acxiom, also digital by the sound of it. Latterly he’s been running his own consultancy Netventure Consulting.

These days media agencies, including the once unremarked OOH agencies, are getting the ear of important clients as they spend more of their money. So someone like Whyte, who’s used to that kind of stuff (including digital), might be a sensible choice for Posterscope.

*What on earth’s happened to the Lloyds Bank pitch. We were told that this long-awaited face off ‘twixt incumbent RKCR/Y&R and adam&eveDDB, which produced Lloyds’ recent 250th anniversary campaign, happened at the end of July. But, so far, no white smoke. Are they researching it? Maybe they’re waiting for a rise in interest rates – they’re bankers after all. Presumably LLoyds knows what each party is capable of.

Y&R owner WPP is chucking everything at it, including, it’s said (by us) a collaboration between Grey and CHI. WPP boss Sir Martin Sorrell is taking a keen interest.

Come on Lloyds, it can’t be that difficult.

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