McKinney's winning streak continues

Durham advertising agency McKinney has snared yet another new account: EAS, the sports nutrition brand that is owned by health care giant Abbott Laboratories.

McKinney, the Triangle's largest ad agency, announced this morning that it will provide a full range of marketing communication services for EAS as its agency of record. That will include reinventing its new client's Web site, eas.com, and relaunching the brand next year, according to the agency.

Financial details weren't disclosed. The EAS line-up includes AdvantEDGE and Myoplex daily nutrition products and Betagen and Phospagen strength-building products.

Since winning the Nationwide Insurance account in May, McKinney has been on a hiring spree. The 70 workers it plans to hire by the end of the year -- it already has hired more than 50 -- will give it a total of 230 workers.

In June the agency also was hired by  Aprica, a Japanese company that makes baby strollers, car seats and other children's products.

The ad agency's recent expansion comes despite a deep advertising slump characterized by advertisers slashing their media budgets in response to the recession. Indeed, McKinney peaked at 250 employees in 2006 but had been forced to trim its ranks, through layoffs and attrition, after losing the Sony Electronics and Audi of America accounts.

EAS is part of the Abbott Nutrition business based in Columbus, Ohio -- which also is home to Nationwide.

EAS isn't McKinney's only fitness client. It also works with Gold's Gym.
Other McKinney clients include Coldwell Banker, NASDAQ, Travelocity, Sherwin-Williams Paint Stores and Virgin Mobile.

Last year McKinney's management, led by CEO Brad Brinegar, acquired the agency from its corporate parent, the Paris-based ad giant Havas.

McKinney announced last week that it was extending its lease at Durham's American Tobacco Campus through 2021. McKinney is one of the development's original anchor tenants.