5 Pursue Outback Creative - Adweek

Casual dining chain spent $90 million on ads last year NEW YORK Five agencies are competing for creative duties on Outback Steakhouse, which last year spent nearly $90 million in major measured media, sources said. Sources identified the contenders as independent McKinney in Durham, N.C., the Chicago offices of WPP Group units Ogilvy & Mather and Young & Rubicam, Interpublic Group's Lowe in New York and the incumbent, Publicis Groupe's The Kaplan Thaler Group in New York. Client executives have briefed the agencies and final presentations are slated for next week, said sources. Select Resources International in Santa Monica, Calif., is managing the process. SRI did not return calls and the Tampa, Fla.-based client, a division of OSI Restaurant Partners, could not immediately be reached.... [read full story]