Contacts:
Kathryn Woods, True North, 212-727-5582
Deborah West, Luxon Carrà, 011-44-208-661-1119
TRUE NORTH STRENGTHENS MARKETING DRIVE’S
GLOBAL BRANDING AND DESIGN CAPABILITY WITH ACQUISITION OF
CHICAGO October 2 – True North Communications Inc. (NYSE: TNO) announced that Luxon Carrà, a leading global corporate branding and design consultancy, will become part of Marketing Drive Worldwide, True North’s global marketing services unit. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The Peterson Group, a New York-based corporate and brand identity firm that is also part of Marketing Drive, will be combined under the Luxon Carrà name.
Wes Bray, Co-CEO of Marketing Drive Worldwide, commented, “Marketing Drive is focused on strengthening the full range of our capabilities worldwide. We think that Luxon Carrà’s strengths in strategic international branding consultancy will considerably enhance the design services that we can offer as a group to new and existing clients.”
Stuart Luxon, Chief Executive of Luxon Carrà, commented, “We are very pleased to become part of one of the world’s foremost communications companies. The new association will enable us to expand our international base to offer an integrated communications package to new and existing corporate clients. The first stage of this will be the integration of the Peterson Group into Luxon Carrà, thus creating a base for Luxon Carrà in New York in addition to our existing offices in San Francisco, London and Hamburg.”
Luxon Carrà has served such clients as Aer Lingus, Andersen Consulting, Apple Computer, British Aerospace, Intel, Royal & SunAlliance, Toyota, US Airways, Wells Fargo, Lufthansa and MTU among others. Annual revenue is approximately $10 million.
Stuart Luxon, Chief Executive of Luxon Carrà, and Vince Carrà, Creative Director, continue in their roles. Luxon Carrà reports to Steve Lawrence, who was recently named president of the Marketing Drive Branding and Design Group.
The Peterson Group, with roots of more than 30 years, has 20 employees and works with such clients as Archer Daniels Midland, Fujitsu and First National Bank of Omaha.
For further information about Luxon Carrà services, contact www.luxoncarra.com.
Luxon Carrà
Luxon Carrà is a leading international corporate branding and design
consultancy with offices in London, USA and Germany.
Luxon Carrà leads in defining and capturing brand essence by integrating key strategic messages about vision, values and structure across a variety of internal and external communications. The corporate mission is to exceed client expectations, delight them with all aspects of the product and services and deliver results-driven, cost-effective work.
Marketing Drive Worldwide
Marketing Drive Worldwide is True North’s global marketing services
brand. Headquartered in Wilton, Conn. and London, Marketing Drive has
43 offices in 27 countries and over 700 employees around the world. It
is one of a handful of organizations in the world that can deliver fully
integrated marketing solutions to multinational clients. Marketing Drive
Worldwide has capabilities in a wide spectrum of marketing services, including
marketing consulting, sales promotion, relationship marketing, branding,
event marketing and promotional services. Its 1999 revenues were more
than $50 million worldwide.
True North
True North Communications (NYSE: TNO) is one of the world’s largest
global advertising and communications holding companies. Headquartered
in Chicago, it had 1999 revenues of about $1.4 billion and annual billings
of more than $14 billion. True
North has three major global brands: FCB Worldwide, advertising; BSMG
Worldwide, public relations; and Marketing Drive Worldwide, marketing
services. The company also has a strong roster of U.S.-based advertising
brands, including Bozell Group, New America Strategies Group, Temerlin
McClain, Tierney Communications, TN Media and others. Its digital portfolio
includes R/GA Interactive and SixtyFootSpider. True North’s nontraditional
brands operate as part of its True North Diversified Companies group.
Cautionary Statement
Certain statements contained in this press release may constitute “forward-looking
statements” within the meaning of Section 21E(i)(1) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934. Such forward-looking statements involve known and
unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause True North’s
actual results to be materially different from any future results expressed
or implied by these statements. Such factors include the following: general
economic and business conditions, the ability of True North to continue
to improve its cost management, the ability to maintain current and attract
new clients, the ability of True North to integrate acquisitions or complete
future acquisitions, dependence upon and availability of qualified personnel
and changes in government regulation. In light of these and other uncertainties,
the forward-looking statements included in this document should not be
regarded as a representation by True North that True North’s plans
and objectives will be achieved.
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