IPG ditches Draft for FCB brand

Howard Draft, one of the DM industry’s most colourful characters, has finally lost his name above the door after Interpublic Group dropped the Draft name and rebranded its DraftFCB network to FCB.
The move, which been expected for months, will see the agencies rebranded FCB in most countries, followed by the city that they operate in.
The UK business, however, will be known as FCB Inferno following last month’s purchase of Inferno. Meanwhile, in New York, the agency is being renamed FCB Garfinkel, after the chief executive Lee Garfinkel.
Howard Draft began his career as an account executive at a Kobs & Brady in 1978, working his way up to become chairman and chief executive in 1988.
After a management buyout, the agency was renamed Draft Direct Worldwide and purchased by the Interpublic Group. It was merged with FCB in 2006 and became DraftFCB.
To some he is seen as a direct marketing pioneer although Draft is perhaps best known for the 2006 Wal-Mart debacle, when the retailer appointed the agency to its $580m account, only to sack it six weeks later.
The U-turn followed the abrupt departure of Wal-Mart senior vice-president of marketing communication Julie Roehm, who had been in charge of leading Wal-Mart’s agency selection process.
At the time it was reported she was fired after it was revealed she had attended a lavish DraftFCB dinner – and had been spotted sitting in Draft’s Aston Martin – while she was still in the middle of the agency review.