Husband and wife ad team
go splitsville, sort of

The marriage remains while
the business takes a new twist

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By Erika Engle
eengle@starbulletin.com

Mike and Anne Murata have split up, professionally speaking.

Anne left her position as president of the family business, Murata Creative Advertising and Marketing to become Guest Informant's group publisher for Hawaii.

Mike Murata takes the helm as Murata Creative president, and retains his title as creative director.

He said

"She was definitely ready for a corporate job," he said, making it clear that he is not. "I've done that, I don't need to do that ever again."

He has contracted with a graphic artist to produce primarily print advertising, as well as account executive Heather Paynter to work with clients on the nuts and bolts and planning, while he works with them on the creative aspects of advertising or marketing.

While his wife often directed voice-over talent for broadcast commercials, he said he also has years of experience in that area.

"Not much is going to change at all," he said, because both he and his wife maintained the company's relationships with its clients and with talent it hired. "We've got good clients who will stick with Murata Creative," he said.

The company reports annual billings in excess of $2.3 million.

She said

"About a year and a half ago, I decided I had run an ad agency for more years than most people have been alive," Anne said. "I was bored, and wanted to do something new."

She said learning "a whole different aspect of media using her advertising skills and market research acumen" makes her "feel like a kid again."

While she felt a need to change, she said, "It was tough leaving Murata Creative because it's my baby, it's got my name on the door."

On a personal level, she said people are asking her if she and her husband have split up personally as well. "Au contraire," she tells them. She said running a business together for more than 20 years is enough. "I know most couples couldn't do it for 15 minutes," Anne said.

She said when people ask her how Mike is replacing her, she tells them "minimally," and laughs that while that he's hired two people, "I think he needs to hire two more."

A client said

"My feeling is that as a client, and also a consultant working side by side with the Muratas they are very professional and know their job well and execute well," said Prudential Locations Vice President for Projects Mary Hakoda. "I'm not concerned about her departure although she will be missed."

The last big project Murata Creative produced was the grand opening promotion for the Ward 16 Theatres, coinciding with the release of the movie "Pearl Harbor."

"It was a great way to go out," Anne said.

She said the promotion itself was "a huge success -- the biggest promotion of my career. I had a $100,000 media budget and I got to spend it in a month."