Adman returns to Sawyer
Lodovico back at agency after brief sojourn
Lodovico left Sawyer in early August to join Messner Vetere Berger McNamee Schmetterer, which won the Miramax Films account -- estimated to be worth between $25 million and $35 million in annual billings -- after a shootout among big-name agencies.
Prior to the Messner win, Miramax's consumer newsprint media buying had been the charter of boutique Harvest Communications, while Sawyer handled the studio's special projects, including media planning for Academy Awards campaigns and for all international film festivals and markets.
In mid-August, Miramax moved the consumer print-buying account back to Harvest after Messner missed a newspaper ad deadline for the genre pic "H20" (Daily Variety, Aug. 18).
With the consumer print portion of the Miramax account gone, Lodovico opted to return to Sawyer, the graphic design studio where he had established an advertising agency after being hired in 1987.
"It's great to have Mark back with his specialized skills in this fast-paced, budget-conscious indie film scene that we've been lucky to be a part of for 18 years," said Arnie Sawyer, president of the company that bears his name.
Among Sawyer's clients are October Films, Good Machine, Miramax, Artisan, New Yorker Films and the Shooting Gallery. The agency has also acted as the official design studio for the Independent Feature Project's annual Gotham Awards fundraiser since its inception eight years ago.
Lodovico serves on the IFP's Gotham Awards committee and on the board of directors of the Motion Picture Club/Will Rogers Institute.
Following Lodovico's departure, Sawyer promoted Jill Tomlinson to account supervisor. Tomlinson reports to Lodovico and assists him on the development of creative advertising, print and collateral materials for theatrical releases and homevideo. Sawyer also handles consumer newsprint placement for independent distributors and exhibitors.
