BCom3 to form JV agency in Japan

BCom3 - the holding company of Leo Burnett and DMB&B - has revealed that it intends to form a new joint venture company in Japan. The new Tokyo-based organisation, will be called Beacon and it will formally come into existence from this October. Beacon will result from a combination of the Leo Burnett and D'Arcy operations in Japan and be complemented by the infusion of staff and business from Dentsu. Dentsu will take a significant equity in the venture, although exact terms are still under negotiations. Beacon is expected to have annual billings of 45 billion yen (about US$430 million), making it the second-largest international agency operating in Japan. The president of the new entity will be Phil Rubel, D'Arcy Japan's president. Phil Fiebig, president of Leo Burnett in Tokyo will assist in the transition but he will relocate to another BCom3 operation by the end of the year. Dentsu also plans to send one person to serve on Beacon's board. Alex Lopez and Masaki Shimasaki, the creative heads at Burnett and D'Arcy in Japan respectively, will function as co-chief creative officers at the new company. BCom3 chief executive officer Roger Haupt said Beacon would increase the group's competitive position in Japan, which would be to the benefit of clients. Dentsu president Yutaka Narita said the new enterprise would provide his agency with an additional means through which to continue providing total communications services in Japan.

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