12226: Sausage Grinder Account Review.

Seems like there’s an end-of-year rush on account reviews, with clients wanting to fire their White advertising agencies before the fiscal calendar is over. Adweek reported four agencies are pulling their sausages—or at least their sausages expertise—in a competition for the Johnsonville Sausage creative account. Incumbent White advertising agency Cramer-Krasselt has serviced the brand since 2008, with its latest work including a “Bratsgiving” campaign for the holidays. Based on the video, which collected a whopping 3,195 views at YouTube, Cramer-Krasselt deserves having Johnsonville put them through the proverbial sausage grinder. It’s never a good idea to create a video for a food client that is thoroughly unappetizing and makes the product look gross—plus, C-K managed to depict the Johnsonville enthusiast as a douche bag. Hell, you know it’s bad when there are videos demonstrating sausage production with greater appetite appeal.

4 Agencies Fight for Johnsonville Sausage

Brand spends $30 million in media annually

By Andrew McMains

Johnsonville Sausage is in the late stages of a creative review, with incumbent Cramer-Krasselt defending against three rivals, sources said.

The brand’s media spending exceeded $30 million last year, according to Kantar Media.

C-K, whose Milwaukee office has handled the account since 2008, did not return calls and Johnsonville in Sheboygan Falls, Wisc., could not immediately be reached. The consultancy managing the search, Avidan Industries in New York, also didn’t return calls.

Sources said, however, that final presentations will take place in the next few weeks and a decision is expected early next month.

The brand’s marketing this year included an online push in August leading up to National Bratwurst Day. The “Bratsgiving” campaign included video and posts on Facebook and other social media.

The search does not include media planning and buying, which remains at Compass Point Media, the media unit of Interpublic Group’s Mithun, which changed its name from Campbell Mithun this week.