H&R Block's $100 mil review jolts Y&R ;Marketer pleased with creative but cites key departures for move.(Young and Rubicam account review)(Brief Article)

Advertising Age, April, 2000 by Cardona, Mercedes M.

Young & Rubicam will decide this week if it will fight to hold onto H&R Block's $100 million advertising account.

The agency was stunned last week when its client announced it had begun an agency review.

David Byers, Block's senior VP-chief marketing officer, expects to choose a consultant this week and complete the review by June. Mr. Byers, a former senior VP at FCB Worldwide, Chicago, joined the company last summer as the tax preparer readied a push into diversified financial services.

Block officials were happy with the latest work from Y&R that broke in January, but departures of the "key architects" of the campaign precipitated a review, Mr. Byers said.

John Matejczyk, senior VP-group creative director, resigned March 20 to...

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