AVANTGARDE vs Grabarz & Partner

ProSieben Show Producer Launches Tween Skincare Brand Milly&Elly

Daisy Rosemeyer-Elbers, former ProSieben executive producer known for Joko and Klaas shows, has co-founded Milly&Elly GmbH with Andjela Emmerich, a former Avantgarde agency employee. The startup targets the gap in the German market for skincare tailored to girls aged 10-14, offering four products formulated with mild ingredients. The brand launches after 1.5 years of development and six-figure investment. Dermatologist Christina Schnopp advises. Products will initially sell online and later expand to drugstores. The company is based at Bavaria Film grounds in Geiselgasteig.

• Daisy Rosemeyer-Elbers and Andjela Emmerich founded Milly&Elly GmbH.
• Milly&Elly launches four skincare products for girls aged 10-14.
• The brand required 1.5 years of development and a six-figure investment.

Christine Thienemann Founds Civina Agency

Christine Thienemann has founded Civina, a live-communication agency with offices in Zurich and Davos. Civina GmbH was registered in the canton of Graubünden in February 2026, with Thienemann as sole shareholder and managing director. The agency focuses on bespoke live communication formats and event production for brands, including product and brand launches, meetings, incentive travel, and corporate/client events. Thienemann previously served as Managing Director of Avantgarde Switzerland (since 2023) and has worked with clients such as American Express, the Audi Revolut F1 Team and Lucid Motors. Her prior roles include positions at Avantgarde (1997–2006), BMW Motorsport, Leo Burnett (Cape Town) and General Motors (experiential marketing for Cadillac and Chevrolet in Switzerland).

• Christine Thienemann founded Civina GmbH and is its sole shareholder and managing director.
• Civina GmbH was entered in the commercial register of the canton of Graubünden in February 2026.
• Civina operates offices in Zurich and Davos and offers bespoke live-communication and event production services (product/brand launches, meetings, incentive travel, corporate and client events).

AVANTGARDE updates About page: removes Shanghai Managing Director, changes office locations and contact number

The About page no longer lists Dulguun Sanjmyatav as Managing Director – Shanghai. The list of office locations has been reduced, removing Abu Dhabi, Vienna, Singapore, and Stuttgart. The contact phone number changed from a UAE number (+971) to a UK number (+44).

Grabarz & Partner Loses Porsche Account; Serviceplan Succeeds

Hamburg-based Omnicom subsidiary Grabarz & Partner publicly bade an emotional farewell to long-time client Porsche after losing the account. Ralf Heuel, the agency’s CCO, reflected on the end of a ten-year relationship, described the impact on his team and argued agencies should be candid about losses as well as wins. Heuel issued a brief public message of goodwill — "KEEP ON PUSHING, PORSCHE AND SERVICEPLAN. SERIOUSLY." Porsche informed Grabarz & Partner that Serviceplan will become its new global lead agency effective January 1, 2027. The farewell post, widely praised across the industry, raised questions about how Grabarz & Partner will move forward; the story was reported by Mehrdad Amirkhizi on Horizont on August 12, 2026.

• Grabarz & Partner had served as Porsche’s international lead agency for ten years.
• Porsche informed Grabarz & Partner that Serviceplan will take over as Porsche’s new global lead agency on 2027-01-01.
• Ralf Heuel, CCO of Grabarz & Partner, authored reflections on the loss and its impact.

Agency's AI Film

Grabarz & Partner produced a near-fully AI-generated short film titled "Artificial Emotions" for the Stiftung Deutsche Depressionshilfe und Suizidprävention that visualizes a symptom of depression — emotional numbness — using AI-created characters except for one real protagonist, Enosch Wolf. The spot, timed to appear the week of August 2 to coincide with transparency obligations under the EU AI Act, has already won a Gold prize at the LTX Awards (a New York Festivals sub-award). Production credits include IMAG/NE (Grabarz & Partner's in‑house AI production) using LTX.Studio, postproduction by &action (in‑house), and music by Mokoh Music in Berlin.

• Grabarz & Partner created a short film titled "Artificial Emotions" for the Stiftung Deutsche Depressionshilfe und Suizidprävention.
• The film is almost entirely AI-generated; all shown people are AI creations except one real protagonist, Enosch Wolf.
• The spot won Gold at the LTX Awards (a sub-award for AI productions of the New York Festivals) and was the only film in the competition to receive Gold.

Grabarz & Partner wins Vaillant lead agency pitch

Grabarz & Partner has been selected as Vaillant's new international lead agency after a multi-stage pitch. The appointment comes as Vaillant aims to strengthen its communications following a recently revised heating law that again permits installation of new oil and gas boilers without a 65% renewable-energy requirement. The decision was reported by HORIZONT on July 16, 2026.

• Grabarz & Partner was selected as Vaillant's new international lead agency.
• The agency decision followed a multi-stage pitch process.
• Vaillant is seeking to strengthen its communications after changes to the heating law that allow new oil and gas heating installations without a 65% renewables requirement.