ADVERTISING
CAMPAIGN TOUTS CITY’S CREATIVITY
Big ad agencies have pulled out of Houston, and those that remain are raising their profile
— reported by the Houston Chronicle
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In less than than a decade, almost all of the national advertising firms have left town, including McCann Erickson, Ogilvy, BBDO and Bates. The J. Walter Thompson agency, however, still has a presence here.
The reasons for the exodus are many: the trend toward consolidation both inside and outside the ad industry; the perception that Houston is a town where most businesses do business with each other, rather than with a consumer; and that the Houston offices of major agencies lost big oil accounts.
Their exit has made life harder for others, because freelancers and small agencies often depend on subcontract work from the bigger fish.
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Congelio, president of Stan and Lou Advertising, and other Only in Houston volunteers want to build a greater sense of community with projects such as their Web site, Onlyinhouston.com, an online directory of local creative talent working in town. The site is like a giant, virtual Houston ad agency.
This month, Only in Houston is running full-page ads in national magazines. The first of several billboards promoting the Web site is up near U.S. 59 and Hillcroft.
Many members of the city’s advertising and creative community could use a shot in the arm.
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