GMP dealt blow below the belt by Leo Burnett

“The results obtained by GMP at Effie 2008 irritated the Leo Burnett team so severely that reactions were almost immediate. Yesterday we all witnessed the reaction of one of the heads of Leo regarding the Grand Effie awarded in the Timisoareana case. Today, we announce the fact that GMP’s Creative Director, Carmen Tiderle, is joining Leo Burnett. This is not the first time that the agency at 13 Iorga Street attempts to solve its problems by looking for a solution in GMP’s backyard,” said GMP representatives.

These added that in 2006, after GMP was a few points away from winning the Ad’Or Agency of the Year award and it beat the same agency at the Goldendrum for Agency of the Year, Leo Burnett hired 9 of its employees within one month, headed by Emilian Arsenoaiei, constituting “a serious blow” in the eyes of GMP.

“It seems that after Emilian and his colleagues were fired one month ago, Leo Burnett is unable to solve its problems except through an attack on GMP. We are disappointed by the way in which our industry colleagues react when they lose. Could it be a simple coincidence that after such notable successes we are attacked?” added GMP representatives.

Stefan Iordache, Chief Operations Officer of Leo Burnett Group, believes that statements made by his colleagues at GMP are ludicrous. “Carmen Tiderle worked for Leo Burnett for 7 years, then 7 months at GMP, and deciding to return we are awaiting her with open arms. The tendentious way of presenting things, namely that “Leo is hunting people at GMP following its Effie successes,” is ludicrous in all respects. As concerns the statement that “yesterday we all witnessed the reaction of one of the heads of Leo regarding the Grand Effie awarded in the Timisoareana case,” I stress that an official protest was launched regarding the unjustified awarding of this trophy to GMP, instead of to the Timisoreana client. And that is all. Any speculation about a battle of large agencies against the smaller ones, or multinational ones against local ones is likewise ridiculous. I cannot but hope that we will soon have a better method of collaboration between publicity market players, and that this battle will be limited to the area of creative ideas and their efficiency,” according to a statement for NewsIn by Iordache.

Leo Burnett Romania is the local representative of the Leo Burnett network, global advertising agency with over 285 offices on 84 markets, including 95 full service publicity agencies and a variety of services for direct and interactive marketing, sales promotion and public relations.

The GMP advertising agency has received national and international recognition at festivals such as Cannes Lions, Eurobest, Epica, Golden Drum, and Effie. (NewsIn)