WWRD Holdings, parent company to the Waterford, Wedgwood and Royal Doulton brands, has named New York based Gotham Inc. its agency of record for all creative and media duties. The win comes following a 6-month intensive worldwide search. Under the agreement, Gotham will manage global creative advertising for the distinct lines of china, crystal and metal tableware and giftware; bringing in CT-based Media Partnership to handle media, Boston-based Beam for digital and Current Lifestyle Marketing for public relations. The account is valued at approximately $10MM. 

The decision to bring on a new agency of record trails the recent formation of WWRD Holdings by NY-based private equity firm, KPS Capital Partners, following its March 2009 global acquisition of the Waterford, Wedgwood, and Royal Doulton brands. Waterford and Wedgwood were formerly represented by various agencies in the individual markets while Royal Doulton’s advertising was managed internally.

“This partnership is a significant milestone in our history. We will position these iconic Brands for the future with reverence to our history of quality and craftsmanship. We are delighted to be working with the talented team at Gotham,” remarked Moira Gavin, Executive Vice President, Sales & Marketing for WWRD Holdings LLC.

First out of the box for Gotham will be integrated work for Waterford, set to hit late Fall 2009, with Wedgwood concentrating on the 250^th Anniversary Celebration throughout the balance of 2009 and new media to follow in Spring 2010. 

“We are thrilled to engage in a partnership that gives us the opportunity to work with three truly distinctive and inspiring brands,” remarked Sheri Baron, president & chief operating officer at Gotham. “We will look to fuel Waterford, Wedgwood and Royal Doulton with truly integrated and effective marketing that not only keeps them at the top of their category, but helps to position them well into the future.”

Hoover, Inc., a leading manufacturer and distributor in the floor care category owned by TTI Floor Care North America, has named Current Lifestyle Marketing, owned by the Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE: IPG), its agency of record for public relations.

“I have a long and successful track record of working with the leadership team at Current, so they were a natural choice when I recently joined the Hoover team,” said Brian Kirkendall, vice president of marketing at Hoover. “They came to us with strategic and creative approaches to engage our target audience, plus great knowledge about and media contacts in the home appliance category.”

Initial work for Hoover began in July 2009 when Kirkendall joined the company. He recruited the agency for services after an outstanding working relationship that developed while he was with the Step2 Company, LLC in 2008. The team currently is planning a multi-faceted holiday program to generate awareness and excitement surrounding the launch of Hoover’s newest line of upright vacuums.

“This partnership is a perfect fit for us – working with a trusted client and a respected brand, in a category where we have deep experience, and drawing on our expertise in marketing to women and moms, Hoover’s primary target,” said Virginia Devlin, general manager of Current.

The business will be run out of the Chicago office of Current under the leadership of Amy Colton, senior vice president and a founding member of the Marketing to Moms Coalition.