WASHINGTON, DC—Omnicom-owned public affairs firm Chlopak Leonard Schechter & Associates has rebranded as CLS Strategies. CLS worked with leading branding firm Siegel + Gale, as well as two public affairs research firms: Public Opinion Strategies and the Mellman Group. The firms conducted an audit of CLS staff, current and former clients, and many of Washington’s lawyers and lobbyists. According to founding partner Bob Chlopak, “At our core, we’re strategists, counselors and problem solvers. Clients don’t engage us simply to communicate; they come to us looking for solutions to knotty, high stakes problems. The decision to become CLS Strategies makes perfect sense because it best describes the brand we’ve been for years.

MINNEAPOLIS—PadillaCRT, formed last year by the merger of Padilla Speer Beardsley and CRT/tanaka, has unveiled its new brand identity, aimed at helping clients understand and articulate what drives them, then channeling all the agency’s efforts toward achieving their goals. “Like other agencies, we research, strategize, plan, write, design, create, program, launch, manage and measure,” says CEO Lynn Casey. “But these actions are not what define our agency. Our significance comes from the results of these actions and the success of our clients.” PadillaCRT’s in-house creative group created the visual and verbal presentation of the brand, drawing on the agency’s in-house research and insights team and its brand planners.

SAN FRANCISCO—Antenna, which has a heritage in energy technology, has launched a new high technology practice with the addition of seven technology clients spanning mobile products, services and applications, security and enterprise software, including Bidgely; CEIVA Energy; ISI Technology; KoolSpan; NextAxiom; The Eye Tribe; and Uskape. Scott Samson has been added as senior vice president from Atomic PR to help build the practice.

SEATTLE—Communiqué PR has joined Public Relations Network, a global network of public relations agencies, as its exclusive US-based partner. PRN membership will allow Communiqué to provide in-country services through a network of boutique PR firms in 26 different countries. Communiqué—which serves clients in a variety of industries including technology, healthcare, financial services, entertainment, education and mobile—will also assist foreign agency partners in the development of strategic communications campaigns targeted to audiences in the US.

NEW YORK—Workman Entertainment + PR, a New York-based PR agency, has re-launched as Workman Group Communications, in an attempt to represent expanded service offerings and new brand identity. The firm works at the convergence of entertainment, digital media, corporate positioning, technology and consumer lifestyle industries, and will now add content development, social media activation and sponsorship procurement to its core service offerings.

NEW YORK—Fastlane Communications has launched a new sports and entertainment practice, providing clients with advice on digital marketing, social PR and sponsorships as well as event marketing, TV and digital production and rights negotiations. It will be led by industry veteran Ed Manetta, who was previously consultant with Hypertechnology Partners and part of Google/YouTube’s sports executive team. Earlier, he worked with Hill & Knowlton and as head of Edelman’s sports and entertainment division.

NEW YORK and LONDON—The Atrebor Group Inc. has been appointed the agency of record for Blue Sky Luxury.  The Atrebor Group will handle media relations and marketing communications in the USA and Canada and its affiliate JJ Angove will handle the UK market for the Barbados-based holiday home experts.