Mills Retains Morris Agency to Promote Retail Malls

Brandweek, Sept 13, 1999

LOS ANGELES--Aiming to further integrate retailing and entertainment, Mills Corp. hired the William Morris Agency to barter partnerships, promotions, retail concepts and attractions for its eight malls. More than 130 million customers a year visit Arlington, Va.-based Mills' malls, which includes The Block at Orange in Southern California; seven more uber-malls are in the works.

The relationship "speaks to a legitimate trend," said Johnny Levin, William Morris vp. "Entertainment is a mass market business, and mails are another distribution platform." The agency will look to mesh networks, studios, record companies, sports teams, others with the malls, using "a theme park model," Levin said. William Morris also will help Mills develop its e-commerce strategy