The Ocean City, MD, contract with ad agency MGH of Baltimore will be extended for one more year, through Dec. 31, 2013, and the town will table its search for a new agency, reported Elaine Bean in The Daily Times on the Eastern Shore.
Bean’s report stated:
“The decision was made at the request of Greg Shockley, chairman of the Ocean City Tourism Advisory Board, who said future advertisements featuring Rodney the Lifeguard (shown above) have already been produced.
“Rodney was developed by MGH as an unofficial spokesperson for the resort. He appears in town marketing materials and offers to “rescue” potential visitors from their day-to-day lives.
“No matter the council’s eventual decision, Rodney remains the marketing property of the town. Any new agency hired would still be able to use him.
“The move to look for another agency is a repeat of 2009, when officials decided to shop around for a new firm at the end of MGH’s contract.
“After interviewing several firms, the town once again resumed its partnership with MGH “after a very thorough agency review,” according to Tourism Director Donna Abbott.”
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