Newport Beach-based Hunter Barth Advertising Inc. has changed its name to Orange Label Art + Advertising.
The name is designed to invoke Orange County’s heritage and the artistic labels growers once placed on orange crates as a marketing tool.
Rochelle Reiter, vice president of business development, also has become a partner along with existing principals Ian Crockett and Wes Phillips.
Phillips and Crockett bought the business in the 1990s. The firm was founded in 1972.
Founders “Hunter and Barth have been out of the business for quite some time,” Crockett said.
With Reiter becoming a partner, it seemed like a good time to change the name,though Crockett said there is a risk of losing the name awareness Hunter Barth Advertising has developed.
“We’ve helped dozens of clients change their name over the years,” said Crockett, who also teaches advertising at California State University, Fullerton. “Now it’s our turn.”
About 60% of Orange Label’s business consists of buying media and producing radio and TV commercials for office equipment dealers and makers. It has 15 full-time workers and taps a large stable of freelancers.
Montgomery Lands
Scott Montgomery has landed at HLF Brandtailers, a full-service advertising shop in Irvine.
Montgomery, who previously worked at O’Leary and Partners in Newport Beach, was a cofounder of Salvati Montgomery Sakoda in 1981. The firm was sold to Bozell Worldwide in 1994 and was folded into FCB Worldwide in 1999. FCB later became part of True North Communications Inc. and now is part of the Interpublic Group of Cos.
In 1999, Montgomery earned the American Advertising Federation’s lifetime achievement award for the Orange County chapter.
HLF Brandtailers has 25 workers.
Swaim’s Startup
The District, a new, free alternative weekly set to launch in Long Beach in April, plans to put out 30,000 copies at coffeehouses, boutiques and other places.
For now, The District’s circulation is focused on downtown Long Beach, Belmont Shore and other coastal areas, said Will Swaim, previously the editor and publisher of OC Weekly.
Several others from OC Weekly are joining Swaim at The District. They include Steve Lowery, Swaim’s interim replacement as OC Weekly editor, as well as the Santa Ana weekly’s former art director, sales director and sales manager.
Rebecca Schoenkopf, OC Weekly’s former Commie Girl columnist, is set to be a contributing writer, Swaim said.
Swaim is an investor in the venture. Employees are set to get shares, he said. The main backer is a “Republican Orange County lawyer” who Swaim said approached him after he left OC Weekly.
He declined to name the investor.
Swaim left OC Weekly in January, citing “philosophical differences” with owner Village Voice Media of Phoenix.
The company, formerly New Times Media, bought the parent of the Santa Ana paper in early 2006.
Last week, OC Weekly named a new editor, Ted Kissell. A former senior editor at the Ventura County Star daily newspaper, Kissell starts next week.
Kissell is marking a return to alternative journalism. Before, he worked as a staff writer at Miami New Times and as an associate editor at New Times Broward-Palm Beach.
OC Weekly also hired Jose Santos, an associate art director at Tu Ciudad magazine in Los Angeles, as its art director. Also joining are music editor Dave Segal and Luke Thompson as staff writer.
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Super Mex in Cypress: looking to double number of restaurants |
Super Mex Push
Long Beach-based Super Mex Restaurants Inc. wants to double from 13 to 26 restaurants in the next three to five years. It’s hired Irvine-based Morgan Marketing & Public Relations LLC to help make it happen.
Morgan Marketing will develop and design a press kit for Super Mex, which has restaurants in Fullerton, Irvine, Huntington Beach, Fountain Valley and Sunset Beach, along with several in the Long Beach area.
A media relations campaign to build awareness of the brand is planned. Super Mex is looking to Southern California, Arizona and Nevada for new restaurants.
Morgan Marketing has another project helping existing client Torrance-based King’s Hawaiian Bakery West Inc. with a recipe development push.
Morgan Marketing will develop recipes for the Hawaiian sweet bread maker’s Web site and for other consumer campaigns, account executive Heather Tien said.
Bits and Pieces:
Irvine-based Brower, Miller & Cole earned a gold award for its advertisement for the Shops at Tanforan in the Fourth Annual Service Industry Advertising Awards. The firm also won a bronze award for a Lewis Retail Centers advertisement. Both ads appeared in national trade publications, Brower President Judith Brower Fancher said Newport Beach-based Marine Services named Stearns Dwight & Associates of Laguna Beach its public relations agency. Marine Services specializes in boat repair, yacht maintenance and vessel management Action sports apparel makers are launching another charitable initiative, Project Blue, created by Vipe Desai, president of Propaganda Headquarters in Laguna Beach. The goal is to raise more than $1 million for ocean and beach protection. Irvine’s Billabong USA and its Nixon brand are doing limited edition products for Project Blue, as are San Clemente-based Electric Visual Evolution LLC, Oregon’s Dakine and San Diego’s Reef. The products are set to arrive in stores in June. Each brand has agreed to support the project for three years.
