DraftFCB launches Rivet as second agency network

by Mark Banham, Brand Republic 01-Feb-07, 09:10

LONDON - DraftFCB has said that its second network, due to open its doors in the UK this summer, will be called Rivet.

The agency will have a separate reporting structure directly into the Interpublic Group and not its parent agency.

The top management at Rivet in the US will consist of Yvonne Furth, who will take the position of chief operating officer, and Lor Gold, who has been appointed to the position of chief creative officer. The UK team has yet to be revealed.

Furth most recently served as chief executive officer at DraftFCB in Chicago, while Gold was chief creative officer at the network's Chicago headquarters.

Rivet will be headquartered in Chicago, with offices in New York and London, and launch clients will include the US retail chain CVS/Pharmacy and US telecommunications firm Qwest.

Interpublic merged its Foote Cone & Belding and Draft agencies in June last year, ending months of speculation.

The merger has thrown up client conflict issues, which is seen by observers as the reason for the new network. There are two significant conflicts, with FCB handling SC Johnson and Motorola while Draft is on the Procter & Gamble and Nokia rosters.

Earlier this week, DraftFCB promoted Toby Sachs, group management director at the company's Chicago office, to chief global growth officer for the agency.

In September, Howard Draft, chief executive officer of DraftFCB, unveiled the senior management line-up for the merged DraftFCB network.

Bruno Walther has been appointed the new president of the agency in France. Stefano del Frate has been appointed president of DraftFCB Italy, while Pilar Garcia-Miranda handles the Spanish office.

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