WONGDOODY Changes Name to Wong, Doody, Crandall, Wiener; Executive Creative Director and CEO Join Ad Agency Nameplate

LOS ANGELES and SEATTLE, March 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- After nearly two decades since its inception, advertising agency WONGDOODY is evolving with the addition of partners Court Crandall and Ben Wiener to the agency's name, now Wong, Doody, Crandall, Wiener. The update reflects the changes the company has undergone in the last year and its growing national presence.

"As an agency, we are constantly examining how we can do better and produce even better work for our clients. Whether it is adding new practice disciplines, modifying our approach to the changing media landscape or developing new solutions to our clients' business problems, we see this shift as an external reflection of our internal growth and success," said agency president Pat Doody.

With experience doing high-impact advertising for clients including ESPN and Alaska Airlines, interactive design and development for Holland America Lines, Yokohama Tires, and Evite, and retail design for T-Mobile and the National Basketball Association (NBA), the agency offers a full spectrum of marketing capabilities.

"We have the ability under one roof to reach consumers at any point in the sales cycle and convert them from being entirely unaware to brand loyalist," said chairman and executive creative director, Tracy Wong. "It's an exciting time for us, and I think the new name reflects how the agency has grown and matured."

Crandall joined the Los Angeles office last year as executive creative director, bringing more than two decades of experience to the team. Most recently a founder and creative partner at Ground Zero, he created and oversaw award-winning advertising for a variety of clients including Beck's beer, Virgin, the Los Angeles Times and the anti-smoking effort for the State of California. He has won notable industry awards including One Show Pencils and gold Cannes Lions.

In addition to his advertising work, Crandall also created a children's book called Hugville released by Random House, the Dreamworks movie, Old School, and the independent film, A Lobster Tale.

"The name change will naturally get all the attention, but the real story here, is the multi-disciplinary nature of this company. From traditional to digital to retail to branded entertainment, we can honestly do it all at the highest level," said Crandall.

As CEO, Wiener has overseen the growth of the agency, opening the agency's Los Angeles, leading the development and expansion of its digital capabilities, overseeing its proprietary ventures and leading its global efforts for clients including Autodesk, Full Tilt Poker and Western Digital.

"Our agency has changed profoundly over the 17 years I've been here. And those changes have just been accelerating. It became clear that the perceptions of our company are somewhat out of sync with who we are and what we do. This is one step in reintroducing ourselves to the marketing community," said Wiener.

About Wong, Doody, Crandall, Wiener

Wong, Doody, Crandall, Wiener is an independently owned, full-service advertising agency with offices in Seattle and Los Angeles. Clients include Alaska Airlines, ESPN, T-Mobile, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Mercury Insurance. Wong, Doody, Crandall, Wiener has 147 employees and $175 million in billings. For more information visit www.wdcw.com.

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SOURCE Wong, Doody, Crandall, Wiener