H&M MERGES WITH FCB
By Adnews Staff
Harrod & Mirlin of Toronto took its last step toward being part of a large agency network. The agency has been merged with FCB of Toronto. The two agencies were first joined indirectly in 1996 when FCB's holding company, True North Communications of Chicago, bought H&M. Since then, H&M as operated independently within the FCB network. The newly merged firm will be called Harrod & Mirlin/FCB and will have billings of $102 million. The H&M office will be relocated to the FCB office. H&M president Ian Mirlin and executive creative director Brian Harrod will retain the same positions at the new agency. "This merger represents the building of a better company, not simply a bigger one," Mirlin says in a release. "With an expanded set of resources and a deeper talent pool we are honing a company that will be more competitive here at home and better poised to take advantage of global opportunities." The move leaves the fate of the General Mills Canada account up in the air. FCB had the General Mills business, but resigned from the account because H&M has the Quaker Oats business. The merged agency decided to keep the Quaker Oats business because FCB has this account in other countries as well. General Mills president Christie Strauss told Adnews she hasn't decided what will happen with the account yet. FCB had been with the cereal maker for over 40 years. The combined clients list also includes: Nabisco Brands, Coors Brewing Co., Tropicana, S.C. Johnson, Canada Trust, Levi Strauss & Co., Bristol Myers Squibb's Mead Johnson, Canadian Pacific Hotels and Bestfoods.