Erhard
11:111117
Hands Across
The Water
For the first time, American and Israeli advertising
firms join forces.
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ALLISON KAPLAN SOMNER SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
I
n what represents the first
major United States-Israel al-
liance in'the advertising field,
international advertising pow-
erhouse BBDO Worldwide has
taken a 20 percent equity inter-
est in Gitam Image Promotion
Systems.
Gitam, founded in 1979 and lo-
cated in Ramat Gan, has taken
on the name Gitam/BBDO.
In addition to advertising, Gi-
tam operates a public relations
department and engages in mar-
keting and consumer research.
The move is an outgrowth of
the growing eagerness of multi-
national corporations to establish
affiliations in Israel following the
peace process and the resulting
erosion of the Arab boycott.
It also comes on the heels of af-
filiate relationships set up be-
tween Israeli accountancy
concerns and the Big Six ac-
countant firms that serve the
world's largest companies.
"The constructive political de-
velopments of the past few years
in the Middle East and Israel
make this an increasingly
promising region for major mul-
ti-nationals," Allen Rosenshine,
chairman and CEO of BBDO
Worldwide, told The Jerusalem
Post in a telephone interview
from New York.
"Israel's dynamic consumer
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'' ..511 11Unibe
economy is creating opportuni-
ties for advertisers, and our rela-
tionship with Gitam will allow us
to better serve those clients with
interest in this growing market."
BBDO maintains relation-
ships, equity and non-equity
based, in 65 other countries
around the world — including
Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Lebanon,
and the United Arab Emirates.
The firm's networks took in $5.7
billion in billings last year.
"Today represents the begin-
ning of a new and exciting chap-
ter in the history of Israel's
advertising industry," said Mosh
Theumin, the president of Gitam.
He said BBDO "clearly stands for
the advertising world's highest
creative and professional stan-
dards, which we at Gitam will
work to carry forward in Israel."
Mr. Theumin gave Gitam's
employees extra reason to cele-
brate. To mark the deal with
BBDO, he announced he-will fly
all the agency's workers to New
York for a four-day celebration.
Following the purchase by
BBDO, Mr. Theumin will retain
a 36 percent stake in Gitam,
Modi Kidon will hold 18 percent
and Moshe Goldberg 18 percent.
American businessman Marvin
Lender holds 8 percent of the
company. ❑
Client Demand Led To
BBDO-Gitam Deal
... • ..,,,,,,,,,, • • • • •
ALLISON KAPLAN SOMNER SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
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lien Rosenshine says his
multi-national adver-
tising agency might be
the first to acquire a
stake in an Israeli firm, but he
doubts it will be the last.
"I'd be very, very surprised if
a number of other agencies did
not build equity relationships
in Israel," the chairman and
CEO of BBDO Worldwide told
The Jerusalem Post in a tele-
phone interview from New
York.
Mr. Rosenshine presides
over one of the world's largest
and most prestigious agencies.
It boasts a client list that in-
cludes Apple Computers, Gen-
eral Electric, Gillette and Visa
A
International.
The decision to build a rela-
tionship with an Israeli firm,
Mr. Rosenshine said, was dri-
ven by the interests of BBDO's
clients.
"BBDO is a multi-national
company servicing major mul-
ti-national corporations. It pro-
vides services for clients who
increasingly want to market
and advertise in Israel," he
said. "So it behooved us to link
up with a firm in Israel."
Although BBDO considered
other agencies, Mr. Rosenshine
said Gitam was its clear pref-
erence from the start.
The two agencies had coop-
erated in the past on multi-na-