Execs & Accounts for July 23, 2004

R/GA launched an online presence for the committee leading New York’s bid to host the Olympic Games in 2012. The site, located at NYC2012.com, features imagery that draws parallels between the competitive spirit of New Yorkers and that of the Olympic athlete.

The interactive agency also created a marketing campaign, dubbed “Let The Dreams Begin,” to promote the effort. Radio, print and online advertising sought to drive traffic and awareness of the site, and Flash-based animations are running atop digital taxis.

“Using the unique attributes of the Web, the central focus of the site became an innovative 3-D map, transcending cultural boundaries and conveying the international flavor of New York City to anyone who visits the site from anywhere around the world,” said Bob Greenberg, R/GA chairman, CEO and chief creative officer.

FindWhat.com moved Pete Neumann from his current role as VP of business development to a new position as VP of corporate development. Neumann will now handle mergers, acquisitions and business development.

“Pete’s skills and foresight have been valuable in developing the FindWhat.com Network and we look forward to the impact he can have in applying his talents to the broader corporation,” said Dave Rae, chief strategy officer at FindWhat.com.

Solbright, a provider of revenue management software for online advertising, hired Thomas Mannion as VP of sales. Mannion joins Solbright from Internet marketing firm Prism Media Networks, which he founded in 2002. He also co-founded Phase2Media, and served there as executive VP of sales.