Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. : Advantage International Returns To IPG Agency Arena

Well-Known Sports Marketing Brand Re-Born With Expanded and Diverse Service Offering

Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG) today announced the return of Advantage International (www.advantagemrktg.com) to its agency portfolio. From its founding in 1983 until its re-branding to Octagon in 1997, Advantage International was one of the world's most successful brands in the sports content marketing business.

"Given the vibrancy of the sponsorship marketing industry, this is a great time to re-introduce one of the industry's most respected agency brands," commented Harris Diamond, CEO of Interpublic's Constituency Management Group of specialized marketing communications agencies, which now will include Advantage International as a standalone agency. The agency will offer multi-disciplined services across the global sports and entertainment spectrum, focusing on corporate client solutions in sponsorship strategy, property negotiations, branding, activation planning and experiential marketing, Diamond explained.

Serving as Advantage International's president will be 21-year sponsorship industry veteran, Tom Haidinger, whose career highlights include counseling Fortune 500 clients in his work for industry leaders including: Capital Sports, Major League Soccer, Genesco Sports Enterprises, Six Flags Entertainment and, most recently, his own consulting practice.

Advantage has already landed several new accounts, including an AOR assignment in the auto category. "We're off to a great start, and we're extremely excited at the opportunity to take this revered brand to even greater levels of accomplishment," Haidinger said.

Headquartered in Darien, CT, Advantage International also has an office in Los Angeles.

About Interpublic

Interpublic is one of the world's leading organizations of advertising agencies and marketing services companies. Major global brands include Draftfcb, FutureBrand, GolinHarris International, Huge, Initiative, Jack Morton Worldwide, Lowe and Partners, MAGNAGLOBAL, McCann, Momentum, MRM Worldwide, Octagon, R/GA, UM and Weber Shandwick. Leading domestic brands include Campbell Ewald; Campbell Mithun; Carmichael Lynch; Deutsch, a Lowe and Partners Company; Gotham Inc.; Hill Holliday; ID Media; Mullen and The Martin Agency. For more information, please visit www.interpublic.com.

For CMG
Jennifer Norton, 212-445-8314
jnorton@cmgrp.com
or
Advantage International
Tom Haidinger, 203-202-2075
tom.haidinger@advantagemrktg.com

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