Southland's advertising agencies see billings slide.

Chiat/Day stays atop The List despite billings decline

The recession continued to trample its way through the local advertising community in 1993, with the county's top 50 agencies suffering a 8 percent decline in billings in their Los Angeles County operations.

The showing was even worse than last year's meager increase of 4 percent.

In total, the county's 50 largest agencies pulled in some $4.44 billion in 1993 from Los Angeles County billings, down from $4.85 billion the previous year.

Among the biggest losers in the Los Angeles County market was Foote Cone & Belding, which, despite picking up the popular California Milk Advisory Board account, saw its local billings fall from $361 million in 1992 to $101 million last year. The company's position on The List fell from 3rd to 13th.

But don't shed too many tears for Foote Cone & Belding, as the company's national operations increased last year from $2.23 billion to $3 billion.

Also suffering last year was Admarketing Inc., whose Los Angeles County billings fell from $330 million in 1992 to $100 million in 1993.

Venice-based Chiat/Day Inc. Advertising remained The List's leader, but even it saw its local billings drop off nearly 10 percent from $570 million to $515 million.

Leaving the Los Angeles County market was Campbell & Wagman, Inc., which closed up shop on Jan. 31. And Wahlstrom/West recently closed its Los Angeles County operations, though the company still maintains a presence in Orange County.

Which is not to say that there weren't a few bright spots out there as well. Ketchum Los Angeles moved from 11th to the 4th spot on The List boosting local billings by $59 million, or 35 percent, to end 1993 with $229 million.

"The major news last year was the consolidation of Acura's local dealer advertising in the United States into Ketchum," said Ketchum's Los Angeles President J. Craig Mathiesen. That account alone was worth more than $40 million, he said.

Ketchum also added the KFC's Southern California franchises account and an L.A. Gear project.

D'Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles also showed a good 1993, up 33 percent in its local billings to $85.3 million.

Hemmings Birkholm & Grizzard was a newcomer to The List, posting in at No. 39 with $19 million in billings.

"We focused on the not-for-profit work we do," said President Michael Birkholm. Doing so added more clients among local Boy Scouts of America and Salvation Army chapters, he said.

Other new additions to The List were the Phelps Group, Donald D. Lewis

Advertising, Inc., Muse Cordero Chen, Inc. and the Miller Group.