Warner Bros. Restructures The Idea Place, Hires Ricky Mintz as Senior Vice President, Names Jon Sparrman Vice President, Print Advertising

Business Wire, Dec 8, 1998

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 8, 1998--Warner Bros. has restructured and expanded its in-house creative advertising agency, The Idea Place, bringing in Ricky Mintz to the newly created post of senior vice president.

The announcement was made Tuesday by Brad A. Ball, president of Warner Bros. Theatrical Marketing, and is effective immediately. Mintz will report to Dawn Taubin, senior vice president of Warner Bros. Theatrical Advertising and Publicity.

In addition, Jon Sparrman has been promoted to vice president, print advertising, The Idea Place, where he joins Bruce Brewer, who is vice president, broadcast advertising. Further, as part of the in-house agency's restructuring, Warner Bros. Graphic Services' creative staff, led by its director, Kirk Freeman, will become part of The Idea Place.

Taubin stated: "We've had a valuable resource for a long time in The Idea Place; now our intention is to more fully develop its potential as a creative and finishing house for Warner Bros. theatrical trailers, TV spots, one-sheets and print ads.

"With the addition of Ricky Mintz, a tremendously talented, experienced and committed senior creative executive, and our other reorganizational actions, we look forward to making The Idea Place a major creator and provider of Warner Bros. theatrical advertising materials."

Mintz joins Warner Bros. from EMI-Capitol Music Group, where he was vice president, creative services, for Capitol Records from 1990, and recently vice president, marketing and creative services, for its Entertainment Properties division.

While at EMI, he directed the advertising and merchandising for some of the music industry's biggest campaigns, including "The Beatles Anthology" audio and video releases, as well as Frank Sinatra's "Duets I" and "II."

He also implemented several precedent-setting marketing and branding activities, such as introducing the first record-based credit card and opening the first retail store, The Ultra Lounge, based on a branded music series.

Prior to his tenure at EMI-Capitol, Mintz was director, creative advertising, at MCA Records and, earlier, held the same title at Capitol Records. In 1988, Mintz founded and headed a full-service ad agency called ADVERTISEMINTZ that served a variety of entertainment and consumer clients. He has received numerous awards for his work from both the entertainment and the advertising communities.

Sparrman moves into his new position from his former post as director, creative print advertising, The Idea Place. Sparrman began his marketing/advertising career in Chicago, where he interned at Foote Cone & Belding, working on such accounts as Wendy's and Coca-Cola and moving up to senior art director.

Sparrman then formed his own company, Pinnacle Promotions Group, and represented such clients as Coca-Cola and Barton Brands, as well as Eclipse and Mindlight, two regional independent film companies. Sparrman holds a bachelor of arts degree in art from North Park College in Chicago.