McCann-Erickson launches Olympic marketing group

by PAUL CORDASCO, PR Week USA 03-Jun-02

NEW YORK: McCann-Erickson WorldGroup has formed a marketing and communications group called O5, which will focus on Olympics corporate sponsorship. The group will draw talent and resources from five Interpublic companies, including Weber Shandwick Worldwide, the agency that helped Beijing win its bid to host the Summer Olympics.

O5 is designed as a one-stop shop, and will be headed by MD Bob Heussner, former head of General Motors' marketing events division, and Gary Pluchino, who was SVP at Momentum Worldwide's event marketing division.

Both Heussner and Pluchino have worked on Olympic sponsorships since the 1992 games. "We will be able to handle sponsorship negotiations, PR, brand management, event management, customer relations, and advertising for clients, said Heussner.

Other Interpublic companies involved are McCann-Erickson Advertising, Momentum Worldwide, FutureBrand, and MRM Partners Worldwide.

O5 plans to open offices in Athens and Milan by the end of 2002, and will open an office in Beijing in 2003, the respective sites of the 2004 Summer Games, 2006 Winter Games, and 2008 Summer Games.