Irvine-based Merit/Andrew, a film and video production shop, has some new toys.
The shop recently added a high-definition editing bay. Another bay was expanded to offer full production finishing in high definition.
The moves help offer the same caliber of services offered by shops in Los Angeles, according to Merit/Andrew, which plans to open an L.A. office.
The shop also has launched a Hispanic division that works with Latino directors to bring in work.
Merit/Andrew, started in 2002 by Scott and Curt Fleming, wrapped up several projects.
It produced a video about The Irvine Company’s Irvine Ranch Land Reserve called “Mountains to the Sea,” which was distributed to homes via the Orange County Register.
Merit/Andrew also did corporate work for several companies, including Costa Mesa-based Experian Group, FileNet Corp., also of Costa Mesa, and Santa Ana’s Nexus Cos.
And the shop did production work on a commercial airing on SpikeTV.
Merit/Andrew has about five workers.
Clients include advertising agencies, such as Irvine-based Rieches-Baird Inc. and Santa Ana-based DGWB Advertising & Communications and fast-food companies including Irvine-based In-N-Out Burgers Inc.
Speaking of Fast Food
Tustin-based Brainsaw continues to roll out advertising for new client Del Taco Inc. of Lake Forest.
The shop, which won the work in December after a review, put together radio and TV spots pushing menu changes at the Mexican restaurant chain.
The commercials, which launched last week, highlight a crispy fish burrito and a 16-ounce “Macho Roast Coffee.”
The TV spot is airing in several areas, including Southern California, Phoenix, Utah, Colorado and Oregon.
Del Taco said it is hoping to lure customers who took to its crispy fish tacos, which were launched last year.
This is the third campaign Brainsaw has done for Del Taco since taking on the account. The shop also helped Del Taco promote its Macho Taco, which debuted in January, and a free video rental with a combo meal.
Big changes are playing out at Del Taco.
Nashville, Tenn.-based Sagittarius Brands, which owns Captain D’s seafood restaurants, plans to buy the restaurant chain. The deal is expected to close later this month.
Glossy Family
Newport Beach-based Churm Publishing Inc. revamped one of its magazines, OC Family.
The biggest change: The free publication switched to glossy paper, which Churm said offers better quality and color reproduction.
The change is aimed at luring more advertisers, who want their message to stand out in Orange County’s competitive market, the publisher said.
Churm said it isn’t increasing rates for existing advertisers under contract but edged up rates 5% for new advertisers as of March 1.
OC Family, launched in 1998, distributes 80,000 copies a month and is available at some 2,200 locations, including Borders bookstores and Babies R Us.
The magazine also made other changes. Among them: two new editorial sections, Family Tech and Hip Mom, as well as a new family event and activities calendar.
Morgan Moving
On the heels of scooping up several new accounts, Irvine-based Morgan Marketing & Public Relations LLC is set to move to bigger offices in Irvine.
Last week, I gave some details on several clients that Morgan Marketing picked up, including K & #233;an Coffee, a coffeehouse in Newport Beach, Burbank-based Poquito Mas Mexican food chain and Pasadena’s Wetzel’s Pretzels LLC.
The shop’s President Melinda Morgan has more news.
She said the agency is set to move to bigger digs in the Irvine Spectrum in late May or early June.
The shop needs more elbow room for its growing staff, which is at about 10 workers. In the past few months, Morgan Marketing hired an account supervisor and an account coordinator and promoted several workers.
Now the shop is on the hunt for one or two more account executives or senior level people, Morgan said.
“We are in the interviewing process,” Morgan said. “There is a shortage of account executives. Everyone is looking.”
DGWB’s Hospital Work
Last week, I wrote about public relations work that Santa Ana-based DGWB Advertising & Communications landed from longtime advertising client St. Joseph Hospital in Orange.
Here are more details about how the shop revved up to handle the work.
DGWB hired a new public relations account coordinator for St. Joseph and has been moving on a public relations plan.
So far, DGWB conducted a communications audit surveying the press about reporters’ familiarity with the hospital and landed the hospital coverage in local newspapers.
