Initiative, which currently has a staff of six, has experienced a troubled period since the departure of president Rob Fitzgerald for New York in 2006. Following Fitzgerald’s relocation, the agency lost its US$150 million Unilever business to Mindshare and Asatsu-DK.
The blow was compounded by Peugeot Japan’s transfer of its media business to Starcom last year. It is thought that each staff member has been offered the opportunity to transfer to McCann.
Prior to its establishment in 2002, Initiative was represented by Hakuhodo:Lintas, a joint venture between sister agency Lowe and Partners and Hakuhodo.
