16730: Delayed WTF 61—General Motors, General Market, General Mayhem.

 

MultiCultClassics is often occupied with real work. As a result, a handful of events occur without the expected blog commentary. This limited series—Delayed WTF—seeks to make belated amends for the absence of malice.

 

GM Authority reported on the General Motors multi-car wreck, whereby the automaker decided to roll with a new line of White advertising agencies.

 

There are key issues in the GM fiasco that warrant rants, including:

 

• The GM Global Chief Transformation Officer gushed the car company “selected the very best-in-class agencies in the entire world.” Um, GM can’t manage to produce best-in-class vehicles, so their ability to identify best-in-class White advertising agencies should be questioned for sure.

 

• The corporation that took full advantage of a bailout in 2008 is now bailing out of Detroit—at least in terms of advertising—effectively decimating the Midwest marketing community. The destruction will include shops literally fabricated to exclusively service GM—as well as workers who ran the promotional assembly lines. Social media voices are reacting to the sad situation, along with even sadder regional White advertising agencies.

 

• In most of the trade journal content, there were no mentions of non-White advertising agencies affected by the GM move. On a related tip, does Shaquille O’Neal—co-founder of multicrumbtual marketing firm Majority—really know about the systemic racism in the industry? Does the NBA All-Star and Hall of Famer realize he’s playing on the B squad? Perhaps he ought to team up with Byron Allen.

 

General Motors has a shiny new fleet of White advertising agencies. But in the end, it’s the same old story.

 

GM Adding New Roster Of Ad Agencies

 

By Rhian Hunt

 

GM is significantly shaking up its advertising partners, hiring an assortment of new creative and media agencies to handle several key marketing aspects while keeping some of the “old guard” ad agencies for certain parts of its promotional strategy.

 

The General is looking outside Detroit for many of its new ad creators, ranging as far afield as both U.S. coasts and Texas as it tries bringing new blood to a challenging sales environment, as Ad Age reports.

 

Ad content creation will now be handled by a lineup of new ad agencies, including Media.Monks, Preacher, Mother, 72andSunny, and Anomaly, with as many as 16 different companies contacted by GM during its advertising review. According to Molly Peck, the automaker’s Global Chief Transformation Officer, GM “selected the very best-in-class agencies in the entire world.”

 

According to Peck, the company will move away from an “agency of record” or AOR model of advertising in which a specific agency is authorized to handle an enterprise’s advertising for it. Instead, GM will set an advertising strategy, and then “a roster of agencies” will execute “the creative vision—the brand, the look, the tone, the feel, the major campaigns” to give customers new ads in “a very fast, efficient and prolific way.”

 

Some of the “old guard” agencies will continue to have roles to play, such as Commonwealth/McCann, which will develop future international Chevy ad campaigns. Commonwealth/McCann created the “Together Let’s Drive” tagline for Chevy, an advertising slogan that also calls for unity at a time of strong U.S. political division.

 

Part of GM’s quest for a more flexible, customized, and varied ad development process seems to be a response to the challenge of marketing electric vehicles at a time when nearly half of previous American EV buyers are returning to ICE vehicles, but GM continues its mission to drastically expand its electric vehicles sales.

 

GM began its ad agency assessment at the start of this year, following its appointment of Norm de Greve as senior vice president and chief marketing officer last July. Molly Peck assumed the mantle of General Motors’ global transformation officer, following years of marketing experience at Buick and GMC, in April of this year and immediately began work on changing GM’s marketing operations to align better with the needs of the times.

 

General Motors spent $2.9 billion in U.S. advertising in 2023, a major chunk of its $3.6 billion global advertising budget, though the amount is down 10 percent year over year, according to Ad Age. 

12411: More Team Detroit Garbage.

Team Detroit is running a promotion seeking composting concepts from college students. Too bad world-class liar Mark LaNeve abandoned the White advertising agency, as he’s a major producer of bullshit. Another endless source of compost could come from collecting all the layouts of bad ideas regularly churned out by Team Detroit.

12382: LOL—Lying LaNeve Leaves.

Advertising Age reported Team Detroit COO Mark LaNeve is returning to the client side as the new head of U.S. sales, marketing and service at Ford. So much for being a team player. Then again, a bailout is to be expected when adding a fucking liar to the fold. Pity the Team Detroit staffers who must now bow to LaNeve as the client. Hell, someone should have put a clause in the man’s contract to prevent such a move, especially given that LaNeve landed the Team Detroit role by directly applying to his Ford friends. Advertising executives, car salespeople and insurance salespeople are consistently listed among the least honest and ethical professions, which totally explains why LaNeve—whose career includes stints with Volvo, General Motors, Allstate, Team Detroit and Ford—is a world-class scoundrel.

LaNeve Lands at Ford as Head of U.S. Marketing, Sales and Service

Team Detroit’s COO Jumps to the Client

By Nick Bunkley

Mark LaNeve, a former top sales executive at General Motors, will take over as Ford Motor Co.’s new head of U.S. sales, marketing and service as of Feb. 1.

Mr. LaNeve left GM in the months after its 2009 bankruptcy and spent nearly three years as a top executive with the insurance giant Allstate Corp. before joining Ford’s advertising agency, Global Team Ford, in August 2012 as chief operating officer. At Allstate, he helped create the well-known “Mayhem” advertising campaign.

Mr. LaNeve, 55, replaces John Felice, who was the company’s U.S. sales chief for only 15 months. Ford said Mr. Felice, 53, “has elected to retire” after a 30-year career at the automaker.

His appointment comes a week after Stephen Odell started as Ford’s global sales, service and marketing chief, swapping jobs with Jim Farley, who now runs Ford of Europe.

“With nearly three decades of proven experience to draw upon,” Mr. Odell said in a statement, “Mark brings the right skills to continue building the Ford brand while creating a stronger retail experience for our customers, making it even easier for them to interact with their dealer and with Ford—and helping us profitably grow.”

Mr. Felice’s departure follows a year in which Ford’s U.S. market share dropped a full point to 14.9%, the lowest level since 2008. Ford sales fell 0.6% in 2014—a drop it blamed largely on the changeover to the newest version of its F-150 pickup—vs. a 7% gain for the rest of the industry.

Ford said Mr. LaNeve will oversee all marketing, sales, service and dealer relations in the U.S., focusing on “innovative new digital communications and transforming the retail experience for customers.”

Mr. LaNeve will report jointly to Mr. Odell and Joe Hinrichs, Ford’s president of the Americas.

Earlier in his career, Mr. LaNeve was CEO of Volvo Cars of North America from 1999 to 2001, when Ford owned it. He was chief marketing officer there from 1997 to 1999.

GM’s sales and market share declined significantly during Mr. LaNeve’s five-year tenure as its North American sales and marketing chief, though that slide began long before his arrival. He worked closely with sales analyst Paul Ballew, whom Ford hired in December as its chief data and analytics officer.

Mr. Felice joined Ford in April 1984. Among his previous roles at the company were head of Ford and Lincoln sales, head of Ford and Lincoln marketing, and president of Ford Thailand. He was general sales manager of Ford and Lincoln prior to becoming U.S. sales chief.

“John has had a long and successful career as a key leader serving us around the world for more than 30 years,” Hinrichs said in a statement.

“Among his many contributions, John led the Ford brand revitalization in the U.S., resulting in an unprecedented improvement in customer favorability, and was a strong advocate for our dealers, ensuring their participation in our business planning process and further strengthening our relationship with them. We thank John for his many years of service and wish him all the best going forward.”

—Nick Bunkley is a reporter for Automotive News

11427: Guess Who’s Coming to Dearborn?

Target Market News reported Uniworld Group is moving its Dearborn, Michigan unit into the same building as Team Detroit. Both agencies have ties to WPP, so the cohabitation idea must be a financially driven scheme. Plus, both agencies service Ford and Lincoln, so the spin features references about shared resources and cultures to better deliver innovative solutions to the clients. Pathological liar and Team Detroit COO Mark LaNeve gushed, “We are delighted to have our UniWorld partners co-locate with Team Detroit. This collaborative environment is a win-win not only for our client, but for both agencies, allowing us to strategically coalesce to share cultural insight and perspective, all to enhance the Ford and Lincoln brands.” Keep in mind that the last time LaNeve made an official announcement regarding a minority agency, it turned out to be total bullshit. Maybe he’ll record the relocation as a diversity boost for his shop. And exactly what kind of “cultural insight” could Team Detroit share with Uniworld? Team Detroit’s recent downsizing probably means there is plenty of empty office space to fill too. Looks like Mayhem has followed LaNeve to the Motor City.

UniWorld Group Detroit moving to Team Detroit offices to better coordinate Ford account

UniWorld Group, Inc. the longest-standing full-service multicultural advertising and communications agency in the U.S., announced today that it will move its Dearborn office into the Dearborn-based Team Detroit offices. The move, scheduled for early September, positions UniWorld Group for a more seamless integration of multicultural thought and innovation to better serve Ford, an account the agency has serviced for more than 25 years. The relocation comes a little over a year after the appointment of the agency’s new Chairman and CEO, Monique L. Nelson.

“We are extremely excited about the upcoming move into the Team Detroit offices,” said Monique L. Nelson, CEO, UniWorld Group. “With both companies heavily focused on the Ford and Lincoln brands, this co-location will allow us to work more closely with our agency partners on a day-to-day basis while also delivering a seamless solution to servicing our client’s needs.”

UniWorld Group, Ford’s only African American advertising agency of record, has shared a strategic alliance with WPP, the largest communications services group, since 2000. This co-location will include UniWorld maintaining its separate brand identity while simultaneously adopting and sharing various agency best practices.

Team Detroit leads the Ford account at WPP. It was formed by a combination of five Detroit-based agencies in 2006; JWT, Young & Rubicam, Wunderman, Ogilvy & Mather and Mindshare. It currently employs around 1400 people, mostly in Dearborn, with others in 23 regional offices.

“We are delighted to have our UniWorld partners co-locate with Team Detroit,” said Mark LaNeve, COO, Global Team Ford. “This collaborative environment is a win-win not only for our client, but for both agencies, allowing us to strategically coalesce to share cultural insight and perspective, all to enhance the Ford and Lincoln brands.”

“Make no mistake about it—our identity as an agency will remain the same with this co-location,” said Nelson. “UniWorld Group is committed to providing the best service to all of our clients. We are looking forward to not only growing our brand culture, but also embracing the Team Detroit culture to continue to better serve the Ford account as we move forward as agency partners.”

Today, UWG main headquarters are in Brooklyn, New York, with satellite offices in Atlanta, Georgia, and Dearborn, Michigan.

Founded in 1969 by Byron Lewis, UniWorld Group, Inc., is the longest-standing full-service multicultural marketing agency in the United States. The agency continues to be a trendsetter, poised to connect forward-thinking brands to the $2 trillion spending power of multicultural consumers while pushing the envelope with innovative ideas and fresh solutions for the general market as well. WPP, the world’s largest communications services company, is also a minority shareowner in UniWorld Group. For more information on UniWorld Group, Inc., visit www.uniworldgroup.com.

11092: Lying LaNeve Lands Luxury Gig.

Advertising Age reported Team Detroit executive Mark LaNeve has been tapped for a second role as president of WPP sister agency Hudson Rouge. “Mark brings a tremendous amount of equity and understanding of the luxury space,” said a Ford spokesman. “When you look at Mark’s credentials, having redone Cadillac and Volvo, it makes a lot of sense.” Um, the lying bastard helped drive General Motors into bankruptcy. Makes all the sense in the world—the world of Mad Men and used car salesmen.

Mark LaNeve Called Upon to Help Stem Lincoln Sales Slide

Team Detroit Exec Named President of Hudson Rouge, Luxury Auto Brand’s Agency

By Rupal Parekh, Bradford Wernle

Team Detroit exec Mark LaNeve has been called upon to take over as president of the Lincoln brand’s ad agency, Hudson Rouge, according Automotive News. The move comes as the luxury brand is seeing a slide in sales.

The 54-year old Mr. LaNeve replaces former auto consultant Cameron McNaughton, who was named president when New York-based Hudson Rouge launched in December 2011. In a memo to dealers, Matt VanDyke, global director for the Lincoln brand, said Mr. McNaughton will be leaving the agency in May to “pursue other opportunities.”

Mr. LaNeve will be doing his new job from Detroit—visiting Hudson Rouge regularly—and will keep his other title as chief operating officer of Team Detroit, the Ford brand’s advertising agency. Both Team Detroit and Hudson Rouge are owned by WPP.

Prior to landing at WPP last year, Mr. LaNeve was a marketer at Allstate and General Motors. He’ll need to use his experience to help right the ship, as he is assuming control of the agency as the luxury Lincoln brand is going through a difficult rebirth. The 2013 MKZ sedan was heralded as the first car in that rebirth, but its launch has been hobbled by production delays and quality glitches. The brand’s U.S. sales have slipped seven consecutive months in an overall light-vehicle market that continues to expand.

The model for Hudson Rouge, a dedicated agency set up to serve the needs of just a single client, mimics the way that Team Detroit was formed. However, Team Detroit has now evolved to handle some clients outside of the auto sector.

“Mark brings a tremendous amount of equity and understanding of the luxury space,” a Ford spokesman said. “When you look at Mark’s credentials, having redone Cadillac and Volvo, it makes a lot of sense.”

Earlier this year, Lincoln launched a big advertising push for the MKZ that included two 30-second spots on the Super Bowl. That included one ad featuring late night host Jimmy Fallon and another, called “Phoenix,” which took bits and pieces from a long-running 60-second ad, with the addition of an MKZ bursting from an old Lincoln Town Car.

While the spots were intended to help elevate consideration of Lincoln cars, at the time, dealers did not have any cars to sell. Now that more cars are flowing into dealerships, Lincoln is ramping up its advertising again this month. There are now around 4,000 MKZs at dealerships, though there are some geographical areas with more cars than others.

Mr. LaNeve, who is widely regarded as a “dealer guy,” started his marketing career at GM and was credited with reviving the Cadillac brand. After rising to the post of brand manager for the Pontiac Bonneville in 1995, LaNeve left GM in 1997 to become VP-marketing and later CEO of Volvo Cars of North America, then owned by Ford.

In 2001 he returned to GM as general manager of Cadillac. In 2004, he became GM’s North America VP-of sales, service and marketing. A few months after GM declared bankruptcy in 2009, he left to become chief marketing officer for Allstate Corp. in Northbrook, Ill. There he oversaw creation of the insurance company’s “Mayhem” advertising campaign.

10893: Mentioning Mark LaNeve.

AgencySpy reported Team Detroit cut staffers last week. The comments included, “Someone has to pay for [Mark LaNeve’s] salary.” Hey, let’s not forget his 2013 Ford Explorer too. It’s like old times for the liar whose last car gig involved helping drive General Motors into bankruptcy.

10611: A Few ADCOLOR® Ads For 2012.

Would love to see clear evidence to counter the perception that Deutsch deserves a “D” grade for its diversity.

The agency committed to no longer using the term diversity and inclusion by 2014 prominently displays the words in its congratulatory ad.

McCann celebrates 100 years of “Truth Well Told”—and diversity well ignored.

Team Detroit declares, “Work is more fun when you include everyone.” Yet the joint hired the man who replaced minority advertising agencies with White agencies when leading General Motors’ marketing.

Foot Locker salutes diversity while selling Nikes. Nice.

10465: More Mark LaNeve LaBullshit.

Advertising Age reported fresh details on former General Motors Liar/new Team Detroit CEO Mark LaNeve. According to the article, within an hour of signing his contract, LaNeve bought a white 2013 Ford Explorer. Not sure if there is symbolism behind the color. LaNeve probably views himself as a white knight; however, he’s just a typical corporate White man. The purchase undoubtedly lifted the morale of his agency’s staff. There’s nothing like seeing the new boss shower himself with expensive gifts.

The piece also revealed that LaNeve landed his position at Team Detroit after first emailing his resume directly to Ford. The executives at Ford didn’t have any openings for LaNeve, but they told Team Detroit CEO Satish Korde to call the jobseeker. The buddy system is alive and well in the auto and advertising industries.

The funniest line in the article: Ford is banking on Mr. LaNeve’s luxury car experience. Um, the last car company to employ LaNeve went bankrupt.

It should be interesting to see how LaNeve partners with Ford’s minority advertising agencies. After all, the man fired GM’s minority shops—handing the work over to White agencies—despite publicly fibbing that such a move would never happen. Hey, he could duplicate the scheme at Team Detroit under the guise of creating cross-cultural capabilities.

Throughout the interview, LaNeve sounds more like a client than an adman. Honestly, is the moron really qualified for the role? The guy has spent his entire career telling agencies what to do. What happens when Ford brand managers instruct him to kiss their asses? Can’t help but think that LaNeve joining Team Detroit will lead to a total car wreck.

LaNeve’s First Task for Ford: Revitalize Lincoln

Agency, Marketer Banking on His Luxury Experience

By Jamie LaReau

Mark LaNeve’s first priorities with Ford Motor Co.’s ad agency are to build its global dealer advertising groups and help revitalize the Lincoln luxury brand.

The former General Motors marketing VP accepted the job of chief operation officers at WPP Global Team Ford on July 31. An hour after signing his contract, Mr. LaNeve said, he bought a white 2013 Ford Explorer with a black interior.

On Aug. 20, his third day on the job, Mr. LaNeve, 53, spoke to Automotive News about moving to the agency side of the business.

His duties include running the daily operations of WPP Global Team Ford, Ford’s worldwide ad agency. That means working with Team Detroit plus Ford’s agencies in London, Brazil and Shanghai, and the Lincoln agency in New York. Mr. LaNeve will meet with Ford’s dealer marketing groups and eventually help build dealer advertising groups in Asia.

“Asia’s going to be a huge opportunity as our business grows, not just on the brand side and launch but on the dealer side,” he said.

Mr. LaNeve started his career at GM, then took a detour to Volvo Cars of North America in 1997, where he was VP-marketing and later CEO. Volvo was then owned by Ford. He returned to GM in 2001 as head of Cadillac and later becoming the North American sales and marketing boss.

In 2009 he became chief marketing officer of Allstate Corp. in Northbrook, Ill., where, among other things, he oversaw the popular “Mayhem” advertising campaign.

Mr. LaNeve left Allstate in February and in mid-May emailed his resume to Mark Fields, Ford’s president of the Americas.

“I was contacted by a couple of other car companies, but Ford is the only one I reached out to,” Mr. LaNeve said.

There was no opening at Ford, but Mr. Fields and Jim Farley, Ford’s marketing chief, gave Satish Korde, Team Detroit’s CEO, the green light to phone Mr. LaNeve. Mr. Korde had been looking for help to handle the agency’s largest client, Ford.

“Mark brings this unbelievable knowledge of an area which we don’t directly get involved in, and that’s going to educate all of my team,” Mr. Korde says.

Ford is banking on Mr. LaNeve’s luxury car experience.

Mr. LaNeve is credited with reviving Cadillac in the early 2000s. Ford wants to rebuild Lincoln with improved products and marketing. Mr. Korde says a new Lincoln ad campaign will be released in November to launch the redesigned 2013 MKZ sedan.

But Lincoln faces challenges that are different from those Cadillac faced a decade ago, Mr. LaNeve said. Today’s light-vehicle market in the United States is smaller than the 17.2 million units sold in 2001. It’s more competitive, and the digital, viral flow of information is much different, he said.

“It’s a different environment, but Ford has a plan for Lincoln that includes a new design language with one product after another over a period of years,” Mr. LaNeve said. “I’m going to learn about it and see how I can contribute.”

Jamie LaReau is a reporter for Automotive News