ACLK GETS BACK HARVEY'S
By Adnews Staff
Ambrose Carr Linton Kelly of Toronto will be flipping burger ads again. The agency has won back the $10-million-plus Harvey's account from SMW Advertising. Harvey's owner, Cara Operations of Toronto, has changed its mind and decided ACLK can in fact handle two large retail accounts. ACLK is the agency for Swiss Chalet chicken and ribs restaurants, also owned by Cara. ACLK had been the agency for both Harvey's and Swiss Chalet for 11 years when SMW took over the Harvey's account late in 1992. At the time Cara explained that it had a policy of keeping two suppliers for each area of its business, such as two suppliers for hamburger patties. Advertising had been the only exception to that rule.
When asked yesterday what led to Harvey's going back to ACLK this week without an agency review, the burger chain's president, Gabe Tsampalieros, said Harvey's is going to change its advertising direction. With SMW, Harvey's had been focusing on things such as as value menus and variety of toppings. Now it wants to get back to basics; it is going to position itself as having the best-tasting food. ACLK president Esmé Carroll said that her impression was that Harvey's had thought each account would get more attention with two different agencies, but subsequently found this wasn't so; the client decided it would be more efficient to have one agency on both accounts. SMW president Rob Laurie said client and agency "mutually parted ways" because Harvey's was changing its advertising strategy. He said the relationship was always "a challenge" and the agency felt it deserved more compensation. ACLK will launch a campaign for the chain in mid-April using TV backed by outdoor.