fallon taps foster as new ceo

Fallon, one of the most decorated creative shops on the planet (with one of the most effective internal PR departments – they always keep the agency in the news and on the blogs through thick and thin…it’s damn impressive), has found itself a new CEO. Chris Foster, a Canadian globetrotter recently of Publicis/SSF Group sister agency Saatchi & Saatchi will take the reins of the Minneapolis shop.

Foster is moving from Saatchi New York where he was Executive Vice President (cool), Global Equity Director (what?).Whatever the last part of the title means, hopefully it gave Foster the experience he will need to help pull the shop, which has fallen very publicly on hard times, back to its former prominence…even the press release alludes to how bad it has been at Fallon recently, saying “[Foster's] first action will be to work with the Fallon management team on a renewed purpose for the company.”

Under Foster’s watch Saatchis hauled in a Grand Prix for Tide and seven Lions in the Laundry category at Cannes last year, which isn’t bad. If you’re into that sort of thing.

It does beg the question, with a Saatchi-ite taking the reins so soon after the formation of SSF, is the Fallon name is long for this earth or if Publicis will combine the two agencies under one moniker a la DDB Needham. Time will tell.