READER'S DIGEST HIRES FIRST AGENCY
By Adnews Staff
Reader's Digest Association of Pleasantville, New York has expanded the way it promotes its products and has hired Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide of New York to work on its global advertising. Until now, the organization has sold its magazines, books, music and videos through direct mail. Now the company wants to promote its products using other media such as direct response TV and loyalty programs. Reader's Digest hired an agency because "it was felt we could use some outside creativity to leverage the brand," Reader's Digest Canadian president and CEO Joe Beauduin told Adnews yesterday. Advertising was being handled in-house. O&M was chosen in a competition with five to 10 other agencies because of its direct response experience, Beauduin said. O&M's Toronto office will handle the account in Canada. The agency will create its own advertising, as well as use the ads created in the U.S.