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== Client engagements == |
== Client engagements == |
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=== National Rifle Association === |
=== National Rifle Association === |
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Ackerman McQueen has worked for the [[National Rifle Association]] (NRA) since the 1980s and the relationship has been called one of the strongest in the advertising field.<ref>Rupal Parekh. [http://adage.com/article/agency-news/nra-ackerman-mcqueen-strongest-relationships-adland/240218/ "The NRA and Ackerman McQueen: One of the Strongest Relationships in Adland".] ''[[Advertising Age]]'', March 11, 2013.</ref> Ackerman McQueen, also called "Ack-Mac", is credited with much of the NRA's modern success.<ref |
Ackerman McQueen has worked for the [[National Rifle Association]] (NRA) since the 1980s and the relationship has been called one of the strongest in the advertising field.<ref>Rupal Parekh. [http://adage.com/article/agency-news/nra-ackerman-mcqueen-strongest-relationships-adland/240218/ "The NRA and Ackerman McQueen: One of the Strongest Relationships in Adland".] ''[[Advertising Age]]'', March 11, 2013.</ref> Ackerman McQueen, also called "Ack-Mac", is credited with much of the NRA's modern success.<ref>Peter Finn and Sari Horwitz. [https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/ackerman-mcqueen-pr-firm-has-been-behind-nras-provocative-ads-for-decades/2013/02/13/fedb70b4-7155-11e2-ac36-3d8d9dcaa2e2_story.html "Ackerman McQueen PR firm has been behind NRA’s provocative ads for decades".] ''[[The Washington Post]]'', February 13, 2013.</ref><ref>Feldman, Richard. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=pFOSdZmSjnUC Ricochet: Confessions of a Gun Lobbyist]'' John Wiley & Sons, 2011</ref> Most of the firm's efforts are on behalf of the NRA account. Services provided the NRA include "public-relations work, marketing, branding, corporate communications, event planning, Web design, social-media engagement, and digital-content production."<ref name=newyorker20190417/> Ackerman was involved in developing and marketing NRA Carry Guard, a for-fee program which made available to members a bundle of handgun training with [[liability insurance]] coverage for [[defensive gun use]].<ref name=newyorker20190417/> In 2017, the NRA paid Ackerman $42.6 million, making it the NRA’s largest vendor.<ref name=wsj20190415>{{cite news |title=NRA Files Suit Against Ad Agency in Rift With Key Partner |first=Mark |last=Maremont |date=April 15, 2019 |access-date=April 18, 2019 |newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/nra-files-suit-against-ad-agency-in-rift-with-key-partner-11555320601}}</ref> |
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In 2016 Ackerman created the online channel |
In 2016 Ackerman created the online channel NRATV, billed as the "voice of the NRA" but operated by Ackerman. Its primary sponsors are manufacturers of guns and ammunition, such as Mossberg, Smith & Wesson, and Sig Sauer.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/06/nratv-live-streaming-the-apocalypse/559139/|title=Live-Streaming the Apocalypse With NRATV|last=Parker|first=James|date=June 2018|work=The Atlantic|accessdate=30 April 2019}}</ref> One of the channel's hosts is [[Oliver North]], the 2018-19 president of the NRA. The channel's programming was a major issue in the NRA's April 2019 lawsuit against Ackerman, with a complaint that the content of NRATV has strayed far beyond the NRA's core mission of gun rights, airing segments on immigration and gender identity, among other things. The channel has warned of possible race wars and called for a protest march on the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] - positions never taken by the NRA.<ref name=nyt20190415>{{cite news |title=N.R.A. Sues Contractor Behind NRATV |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |first=Danny |last=Hakim |date=April 15, 2019 |access-date=April 18, 2019 |
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|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/15/business/nra-nratv-lawsuit.html}}</ref> |
|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/15/business/nra-nratv-lawsuit.html}}</ref> |
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A ''[[The New Yorker|New Yorker]]'' article published around that time went into details about the NRA's relationship with Ackerman. It suggested that the NRA's precarious financial status in recent years is partly caused by its relationship with Ackerman, to which it paid $40 million, 12% of its total expenditures, in 2017, the most recent year records were available. Employees of the NRA claimed much of its spending is driven by Ackerman's needs, [[conflict of interest]], and related-party transactions, as several NRA executives have spouses who work for Ackerman or have worked for the agency, and some executives have gone to work there themselves after leaving the NRA. Many problematic transactions had allegedly not been approved by the NRA's audit committee.<ref name=newyorker20190417/> |
A ''[[The New Yorker|New Yorker]]'' article published around that time went into details about the NRA's relationship with Ackerman. It suggested that the NRA's precarious financial status in recent years is partly caused by its relationship with Ackerman, to which it paid $40 million, 12% of its total expenditures, in 2017, the most recent year records were available. Employees of the NRA claimed much of its spending is driven by Ackerman's needs, [[conflict of interest]], and related-party transactions, as several NRA executives have spouses who work for Ackerman or have worked for the agency, and some executives have gone to work there themselves after leaving the NRA. Many problematic transactions had allegedly not been approved by the NRA's audit committee.<ref name=newyorker20190417/> |
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On May 3, 2019, Senators [[Ron Wyden]] of Oregon, [[Sheldon Whitehouse]] of Rhode Island, and [[Bob Menendez]] of New Jersey, members of the [[United States Senate Committee on Finance|Senate Finance Committee]], which has oversight of tax-exempt entities, wrote to Ackerman McQueen, North, and NRA chief executive officer [[Wayne LaPierre]], requesting copies North's and LaPierre's correspondence with the NRA board, seeking documents related to allegations of financial impropriety, and directing records preservation.<ref name=wapo20190502>{{cite news |title=Senate Democrats ask NRA execs, PR firm for documents related to alleged self-dealing |first=Katie |last=Zezima |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=May 2, 2019 |access-date=May 31, 2019 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/senate-democrats-ask-nra-execs-pr-firm-for-documents-related-to-alleged-self-dealing/2019/05/02/870db132-6d0c-11e9-8f44-e8d8bb1df986_story.html}}</ref><ref name=newsweek20190503>{{cite news |title=Senate Democrats Probe NRA After Ex-President Oliver North Alleged Financial Wrongdoing |first=Ramsey |last=Touchberry |date=May 3, 2019 |access-date=May 31, 2019 |magazine=[[Newsweek]] |url=https://www.newsweek.com/senate-democrats-nra-nonproft-probe-investigation-oliver-north-1414504}}</ref> |
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On May 23, 2019, Ackerman McQueen counter-sued the NRA, claiming defamation and seeking compensatory damages.<ref name=adweek20190529>{{cite news |title=Ackerman McQueen Moves to Terminate 38-Year Contract With the NRA |first=Patrick |last=Coffee |magazine=[[Adweek]] |date=May 29, 2019 |access-date=May 30, 2019 |url=https://www.adweek.com/agencies/ackerman-mcqueen-moves-to-terminate-38-year-contract-with-the-nra/}}</ref><ref name=nyt20190524>{{cite news |last1=Hakim |first1=Danny Hakim |first2=Zach |last2=Montague |title=Ad Firm Sues in Response to Lawsuit from N.R.A.|date=May 24, 2019 |access-date=May 30, 2019 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/23/us/nra-ackerman-mcqueen-lawsuit.html}}</ref> On May 29, 2019, Ackerman McQueen formally notified the NRA of its intention to terminate their contract with the NRA.<ref name=adweek20190529/><ref name=wsj20190529>{{cite news |last=Maremont |first=Mark |title=NRA Ad Firm Seeks to End Contract with Gun Group; Ackerman McQueen Wants to Quit nearly 40-Year Relationship Amid the Partners' Legal Dispute |newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |date=May 29, 2019 |access-date=May 30, 2019 |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/nra-ad-firm-seeks-to-end-contract-with-gun-group-11559145765}}</ref><ref name=bloomberg20190529>{{cite news |title=Ad Firm Cuts Ties With NRA, Says ‘Chaos Led Us to Lose Faith’ After 38 Years |first1=Neil |last1=Weinberg |first2=David |last2=Voreacos |agency=[[Bloomberg News]] |date=May 29, 2019 |access-date=May 30, 2019 |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-29/nra-s-longtime-ad-agency-severs-ties-as-legal-battle-escalates}}</ref> |
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=== Other === |
=== Other === |
Revision as of 17:19, 15 June 2019
Company type | Advertising and media |
---|---|
Industry | Print and video advertisements |
Founded | 1939Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | in
Founders | Ray Ackerman Marvin McQueen Lee Allan Smith |
Headquarters | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma , U.S. |
Number of locations | 5 (2015) |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Angus McQueen (CEO) Revan McQueen (Co-CEO) Bill Winkler (CFO) |
Number of employees | 230 (2015) |
Website | AM.com/home |
Ackerman McQueen is an advertising agency based in Oklahoma City. Founded in 1939, it has expanded to include offices in Alexandria, Virginia, Colorado Springs, Colorado, Dallas, Texas and Tulsa, Oklahoma.[1][2] Ackerman McQueen has about two hundred and twenty-five employees.[2]
Client engagements
National Rifle Association
Ackerman McQueen has worked for the National Rifle Association (NRA) since the 1980s and the relationship has been called one of the strongest in the advertising field.[3] Ackerman McQueen, also called "Ack-Mac", is credited with much of the NRA's modern success.[4][5] Most of the firm's efforts are on behalf of the NRA account. Services provided the NRA include "public-relations work, marketing, branding, corporate communications, event planning, Web design, social-media engagement, and digital-content production."[2] Ackerman was involved in developing and marketing NRA Carry Guard, a for-fee program which made available to members a bundle of handgun training with liability insurance coverage for defensive gun use.[2] In 2017, the NRA paid Ackerman $42.6 million, making it the NRA’s largest vendor.[6]
In 2016 Ackerman created the online channel NRATV, billed as the "voice of the NRA" but operated by Ackerman. Its primary sponsors are manufacturers of guns and ammunition, such as Mossberg, Smith & Wesson, and Sig Sauer.[7] One of the channel's hosts is Oliver North, the 2018-19 president of the NRA. The channel's programming was a major issue in the NRA's April 2019 lawsuit against Ackerman, with a complaint that the content of NRATV has strayed far beyond the NRA's core mission of gun rights, airing segments on immigration and gender identity, among other things. The channel has warned of possible race wars and called for a protest march on the FBI - positions never taken by the NRA.[8]
On April 12, 2019, the NRA sued Ackerman McQueen for over-billing and lack of transparency. The suit alleges that Ackerman has denied the NRA access to basic business records in support of Ackerman's billing to the NRA, a lack of transparency that “threatens to imminently and irreparably harm” the NRA's nonprofit status. Among the issues was NRA's request for details of NRA president Oliver North's $1 million contract with NRATV. Ackerman said the suit was "inaccurate" and "frivolous."[2][8][6][9]
A New Yorker article published around that time went into details about the NRA's relationship with Ackerman. It suggested that the NRA's precarious financial status in recent years is partly caused by its relationship with Ackerman, to which it paid $40 million, 12% of its total expenditures, in 2017, the most recent year records were available. Employees of the NRA claimed much of its spending is driven by Ackerman's needs, conflict of interest, and related-party transactions, as several NRA executives have spouses who work for Ackerman or have worked for the agency, and some executives have gone to work there themselves after leaving the NRA. Many problematic transactions had allegedly not been approved by the NRA's audit committee.[2]
Other
Other clients have included Six Flags amusement parks, some Oklahoma casinos, and the Chickasaw Nation.[2]
References
- ^ "Offices". Ackerman McQueen. Retrieved November 16, 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g Spies, Mike (April 17, 2019). "Secrecy, Self-Dealing, and Greed at the N.R.A." The New Yorker.
- ^ Rupal Parekh. "The NRA and Ackerman McQueen: One of the Strongest Relationships in Adland". Advertising Age, March 11, 2013.
- ^ Peter Finn and Sari Horwitz. "Ackerman McQueen PR firm has been behind NRA’s provocative ads for decades". The Washington Post, February 13, 2013.
- ^ Feldman, Richard. Ricochet: Confessions of a Gun Lobbyist John Wiley & Sons, 2011
- ^ a b Maremont, Mark (April 15, 2019). "NRA Files Suit Against Ad Agency in Rift With Key Partner". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
- ^ Parker, James (June 2018). "Live-Streaming the Apocalypse With NRATV". The Atlantic. Retrieved April 30, 2019.
- ^ a b Hakim, Danny (April 15, 2019). "N.R.A. Sues Contractor Behind NRATV". The New York Times. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
- ^ "NRA sues its main ad agency for allegedly withholding billing information". Fox News. March 2, 2019. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
External links