–The White Barn Group moved to San Juan Capistrano.
The branding and advertising shop signed a long-term lease for a 2,900-square-foot office near the train station and Mission San Juan Capistrano.
White Barn Group said it chose the spot because it’s easy to get to and it better serves clients as the company grows. Clients taking the train are dropped off a few hundred feet from its doors, the shop said.
White Barn Group is run by founder Tim Hackbardt, former marketing executive at Lake Forest-based Del Taco Inc.
The shop also changed up its own branding and swapped its logo for a new one.
Some 50 colleagues submitted renderings before White Barn Group chose one that outlines a farmhouse.
The moves are part of the ad shop’s recent string of account wins.
White Barn Group was tapped by Huntington Beach-based BJ’s Restaurants Inc. as the chain’s media buying agency of record.
The shop is handling multimedia campaigns, including broadcast, outdoor and Internet advertising.
White Barn Group also developed an online sales and marketing program for Los Alamitos-based Damzl Inc., a clothing company that makes motocross garb for women.
The program, which promoted Damzl’s new line of women’s clothes called “Ridewear,” allowed online retailers with thousands of customers to be exposed to the brand with little cost to Damzl, the shop said.
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Del Taco Web site: pushing spicy chicken burrito, donating portion to fire victims |
In other news, White Barn Group beat out several other undisclosed shops to win work from the Elephant Bar Restaurant chain, which is owned by La Mirada-based S.B. Restaurant Co.
The shop is handling Elephant Bar’s 2007 holiday gift card marketing push. The work includes giving employees rewards for selling gift cards to customers. Plus, guests can also get gifts with purchase.
White Barn handled the marketing program, including design, printing and distribution of promotional kits to Elephant Bar restaurants.
More Details
Last week, I mentioned a new client that Irvine-based advertising shop RiechesBaird picked up, American Airlines Cargo, a division of American Airlines Inc.
Since then, I’ve gotten more news about the account.
Agency principal Ray Baird said RiechesBaird hired a couple of workers to help with the business, which was won after a six-month review involving some 20 other shops.
RiechesBaird now has about 40 full-time workers, and uses about 15 consultants on a regular basis, Baird said.
The OC shop is keeping a close eye on business in 2008.
The shaky housing market and a predicted slowdown in retail sales this holiday season has made some clients “a little cautious,” Baird said.
“I think budgets will be reduced,” he added.
Still, RiechesBaird is expecting to see more consulting and new market development work, Baird said.
“It looks like a healthy trend that will continue to grow for us,” Baird said. “Our firm is lucky in the sense that we have both sides of the business. Depending on the economy, one side can become very viable.”
Good Pulse
Costa Mesa-based Pacific Communications picked up more work from big client Allergan Inc.
The advertising shop, which started as a marketing arm of Allergan and is still owned by the Irvine drug maker, was tapped to handle branding and marketing for a new line of products called SofPulse.
SofPulse products are used for pain and swelling after surgeries for breast, facial and other aesthetic procedures.
Allergan teamed with Northvale, N.J.-based IVIVI Technologies to distribute SofPulse.
Pacific Communications said it landed the work because of its experience marketing other Allergan products, including Botox Cosmetic and Juv & #233;derm, a lower-face wrinkle filler.
Pacific Communications has been on the hunt for workers to help with work for SofPulse, which is expected to launch by the end of the year, and other recent wins.
President Ryan Abbate said the shop has been “expanding all year and still plans to add additional people.”
Recently, Pacific Communications hired three people to help manage new work from San Diego-based Prometheus Laboratories.
Two workers were hired in account services and one in creative.
Fires Donation
Lake Forest-based Del Taco Inc. launched a marketing campaign to raise money for people impacted by the recent fires in Southern California.
The Mexican restaurant chain said it is donating 25 cents from each spicy chicken burrito sold from mid-November to Christmas.
The company said it expects to raise about $100,000 for fire victims.
To get the word out, Del Taco launched ads that focus on the spicy chicken burrito.
The restaurant chain put more chicken in the burritos and is selling them at the same price, $1.99.
