You can't keep a good adman down. Garry Lace, whose highflying career took not one but two unfortunate turns, has a new job -- running a company that offers ad space in toilets. Is it me or do these headlines write themselves.
Lace, who left Lowe in 2006 after an investigation and was forced to leave Grey before that, is to be managing director of Admedia, an out-of-home and experiential media owner.
Admedia are describing hiring Lace as "a coup". Well, as Lace is taking an equity stake in the business no one is going to be kicking him out anytime soon. It's more of a publicity coup than anything else, as people will certainly be talking.
It has to be a conversation starter: Garry Lace has just invested in our company. Is he scoping out a rival? Just kidding.
Lace was one of the brightest stars of his generation, becoming joint managing director alongside Johnny Hornby at TBWA\ at 32 and it looked like he would have a brilliant career until it all went very pair shaped when he took the top job at Grey.
At Grey he quit after a hoax email claimed Lace was set to quit the agency to set up an Air Miles-type loyalty scheme. He denied the plan but left Grey a month later.
He was hired in 2005 by Lowe London as chief executive, it seemed a perfect comeback, but it lasted little more than a year before he was suspended indefinitely and then quit after an investigation into his conduct and reported links with former agency chief and now rival Sir Frank Lowe.
He takes up his new brief on July 1, having most recently been at direct and digital agency Intelligent Marketing. Washroom might not be the most glamorous or interesting part of the business, but it is probably a sound bet as drunk people will always need something to read while leaning into the urinal.
That might be unfair, but the only time I ever notice washroom advertising is when I am in the kind of place where really its not such a great idea to be. I'm not just talking about South London.
But to be fair Admedia, which was founded by current joint CEOs Philip Vecht and Jonathan Naggar, also has space in 200 shopping centres and all 131 motorway services.
Nice bog, sorry I mean blog..
For the full story of Gary's move, as broken exclusively by Media Week this very morning, clik here www.brandrepublic.com/.../Lace-hired-double-Admedia-business
Gordon Macmillan
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