NIKON CHANGES AGENCIES
By Adnews Staff
Toronto-based Brandworks International was handed the Nikon Canada of Mississauga, Ont. account effective Jan. 1. The agency won the business after a three-month competition that initially involved five other Toronto agencies: Enterprise Creative Selling, The Cundari Group, Harrod & Mirlin, Sandy Kedey & Associates and Taxi Advertising and Design. The list was then pared down to three: Brandworks, Sandy Kedey and Taxi. The 14-year incumbent on the business is SMW Advertising of Toronto, which announced this week that Montreal-based Publicis Canada bought a 75% stake in the agency and renamed it Publicis SMW. Nikon advertising and communications manager Mary Mulder told Adnews yesterday that the agency switch had nothing to do with the announcement from SMW. Nikon felt it was time to look at other agencies because it had been with SMW for so long. Brandworks will launch its first campaign for Nikon in March using magazine ads. Nikon markets cameras and accessories, as well as binoculars.