12381: Cancer & Collusion.

Adweek reported the American Cancer Society handed its account to DDB Chicago following a review. According to Adweek, a previous relationship between American Cancer Society SVP of Marketing Daniela Campari and DDB facilitated the decision to award billings to the Chicago-based shop. Campari once worked for Wrigley, a DDB client. Of course, DDB ultimately won the account fair and square, with Campari gushing she was “particularly impressed with how personally attached DDB Chicago was to the society’s mission throughout the process.” For the pitch, DDB trotted out staffers who had survived cancer or knew people in treatment. DDB CEO Paul Gunning said, “This was a higher calling.” Right. It also probably involved calls from higher-ups in the Omnicom network to take advantage of the Campari relationship and maximize the Corporate Cultural Collusion.

American Cancer Society Exec Hires a Shop She Worked With at Wrigley

DDB succeeds The Martin Agency

By Andrew McMains

The Chicago office of DDB has leveraged a past connection with the American Cancer Society’s new marketing chief to land the organization’s creative account, which is backed by nearly $30 million in annual media spending.

Daniela Campari, svp of marketing at the American Cancer Society since July 2014, previously was head of marketing in the U.K. and Ireland for Wrigley, a global client of DDB’s. Campari’s familiarity with the agency put DDB on her consideration list initially, and the shop subsequently beat a handful of other contenders to win the business.

As lead creative agency, DDB succeeds The Martin Agency, which did not participate in the review. Martin had worked on the account since 2008.

In a statement, Campari said she was “particularly impressed with how personally attached DDB Chicago was to the society’s mission throughout the process.” In fact, DDB staffers who had survived cancer or knew others in treatment were among those who contributed insights to the pitch effort. As Chicago DDB CEO Paul Gunning put it, “This was a higher calling.”

The new agency’s first work is expected in the first half of the year. Next month, meanwhile, the shop will break its first ads for Kohler, a brand that Chicago added in October. Kohler spends about $35 million in media annually.