PHD – Sainsbury's
Sainsbury's has confirmed that PHD has won its consolidated £115m media planning and buying account, ending the long-running drama over the account review. A source close to the supermarket giant said PHD eventually triumphed because it submitted new pricing that was “extremely competitive” and undercut rival M/SIX. The result is a coup for PHD and its parent company, Omnicom Media Group, which had faced losing the £62m Sainsbury’s account after 22 years.
VCCPme – British Heart Foundation
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) has appointed VCCPme to handle its legacy fundraising activity following a competitive pitch process run by Freestyle Marketing. The appointment comes as the charity enters a new phase in its fundraising strategy, all of which supports the BHF’S vision of a world in which people do not die prematurely or suffer from cardiovascular disease. VCCPme will support the BHF in achieving this vision by helping grow the charity’s legacy fundraising activities and driving engagement and consideration amongst its current supporters and the general public. Alongside a fully integrated ATL campaign, which includes TV, radio, press, DM and digital, VCCPme will also work with the heart research charity to shape and develop its legacy positioning both externally and internally through an employee engagement programme.
DDB Group – The Peak Galleria
DDB Group Hong Kong has won the brand communication strategy and creative mandate for The Peak Galleria’s new brand campaign. Owned and managed by Hang Lung Properties, The Peak Galleria (perched on top of Victoria Peak) is one of Hong Kong’s most iconic tourist attractions. Led by the agency’s robust strategy team, DDB took home the account following a four-way pitch. The appointment marks another milestone for the partnership after winning gold at the Marketing Event Awards for The Peak Galleria’s hugely successful Halloween event in October 2016. DDB’s unusual auditory haunted house experience helped boost mall footfall to its highest comparative level in three years. Going forward, DDB will take lead-agency responsibility for The Peak Galleria’s 2017/18 brand communication, and strengthen its position as a world-class shopping, dining and entertainment destination.
VML – Express
Express, a speciality retail apparel company, has announced that global marketing agency VML has been selected as agency of record. VML will lead the strategic consumer journey toward sales and commerce through integrated channel strategies including marketing, paid media, search, analytics and consumer sales optimisation. Express is a speciality apparel and accessories retailer of women's and men's merchandise, targeting the 20 to 30-year-old customer. The company has more than 35 years of experience offering a distinct combination of fashion and quality for multiple lifestyle occasions. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio with a New York design studio in the heart of Manhattan, Express employs about 18,000 associates in over 650 retail stores, both nationally and internationally.
The Monkeys – Holden
Holden has announced that The Monkeys has been appointed as the creative agency to launch the all-new Holden Equinox after winning an extensive pitch process. This all-new award-winning SUV is set to arrive in Australia later this year to help increase Holden's share of the booming SUV market. AJF Partnership will remain as Holden's retained creative agency and will be working across multiple other car lines and retail programs.
MullenLowe – Eurosport Digital
Eurosport Digital, the direct to consumer business within Eurosport, Europe’s number one sports destination which is owned and operated by Discovery Communications, has appointed MullenLowe London as a full-service European agency partner following a competitive pitch. The appointment includes Media, Creative and CRM. This is the first time Eurosport Digital have appointed a dedicated European media agency of record and is part of a major drive to grow its direct-to-consumer subscription business. MullenLowe Mediahub hand picked creative and strategic talent from MullenLowe London, CRM and activation talent from MullenLowe Open, and regional talent from MullenLowe Group and Interpublic Group Mediabrands networks to create a pan-European hyperbundled team. The business will be led out of London, with regional hubs initially in Germany, Italy and Norway with more to follow. MullenLowe’s first integrated campaign will be to promote Eurosport’s acquisition of rights to broadcast Bundesliga Friday night matches in Germany, from August 18th.
BBDO – Tourism Authority of Thailand
Leading worldwide advertising agency, BBDO Bangkok, was recently awarded Agency of Record duties for Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT)’s international unit for 2018, supporting the organisation’s mission in raising the bar for Thailand as a preferred destination among foreign visitors, ranging from first-timers to repeaters through the “Open to the New Shades of Thailand” concept. Following the win, BBDO Bangkok will be responsible for all creative and strategic assignments for the international “2018 Amazing Thailand Campaign”, and will be tasked with driving engagement within the international tourism market through an integrated communications strategy that focuses on online and social media. BBDO will strive to place Thailand firmly on the map as a preferred destination for international travelers ranging from first-timers, repeaters, senior citizens to niche markets such as Weddings, Honeymoons, Sports Enthusiasts and Ladies, and establish a strong brand image for Thailand as one of the luxury destinations that offers quality tourism in the region.
BBDO – AIDS Concern
BBDO Hong Kong has won the AIDS Concern business following a four agency pitch. AIDS Concern is the first non-government charity organisation established in Hong Kong to address HIV-AIDS care. BBDO will be responsible for delivering a two-year campaign to achieve 'Triple Zero' (zero new infections, zero stigma, and zero AIDS deaths) through increased HIV-AIDS testing in Hong Kong.
Seventy7 – PartyLite
Creative content business, seventy7, is preparing to light up the direct selling industry as they celebrate winning a 3-year contract to provide content and deliver a new e-commerce shop for premium candle and home accessories brand, PartyLite. The deal is significant for seventy7 as it’s the first to incorporate their entire range of services. This includes digital marketing, branding, photography, creative design, website design and build, studios and production, a web-based internal communications platform and consultancy for each territory over the next 3 years.
HeyHuman – Wooga
Wooga, a mobile game developer based in Berlin, has appointed HeyHuman to deliver a fresh proposition for the brands as well as social media initiatives for two of its games. The appointment follows a four-way competitive pitch and the work marks a significant shift in Wooga’s strategy away from search and outbound marketing. HeyHuman will support Wooga’s hit game Pearl’s Peril in the US and the launch of June’s Journey in the UK at the end of August. The agency will take Pearl’s Peril beyond its traditional audience of women from the age of 45 and expand it to younger demographics, which research revealed as an untapped additional opportunity. HeyHuman will grow Pearl Peril’s social media following and aim to deliver increased downloads. It will do this via a Facebook brand awareness campaign, which will include a hero film, four-second stills and visuals to engage the game’s social media community. Activity will kick off mid-August. The June’s Journey campaign will take the same format as that for Pearl’s Peril, but focused on the UK. Once results are available, Wooga will decide whether to roll out a similar strategy for all its games globally.
DAC Group – Clas Ohlson
Swedish hardware store chain and mail-order firm Clas Ohlson has appointed DAC Group to head up its digital presence and build the firm a strong UK campaign, as it is not currently a widely known brand name in Britain, with only seven stores around the country. London based agency DAC Group will drive e-commerce growth via PPC and support new store expansion via its local offering. DAC’s local up strategy means it can support store activity and performance in parallel with the e-commerce growth.
101 – Subaru
Subaru UK has appointed 101 as its lead creative agency after a competitive pitch as the brand prepares to carry out multiple car launches in the next 18 months. 101, which beat an MDC Partners team in a final shootout, has now been tasked with building the brand in the UK to a wider car-buying audience. Subaru, long-known for being an all-wheel-drive specialist, is looking to broaden its appeal beyond specific touchpoints as part of a wider brand storytelling effort. Chris Hawken, the former Skoda marketer who was appointed group marketing director for Subaru and Isuzu at the end of 2015, ran the pitch. Subaru UK has worked with Manchester creative agency BJL since 2011, while MediaCom Manchester handles media. The brand spent less than £2m on UK media last year.
LP/AD – Tabasco
Toronto’s LP/AD has been engaged to develop digital strategy and content for Tabasco Foodservice in Canada. LP/AD will be working on developing a foodservice social media strategy, managing online properties as well as developing both a strategy and creating digital content for foodservice activation activities, client engagement and other foodservice touch points.
72andSunny – Nissan Infiniti
Nissan has reportedly moved the global advertising account for luxury car marque Infiniti from Crispin Porter & Bogusky to 72andSunny without calling a review. However, CP&B will retain the US business, with both ad agencies and the client refusing to confirm or deny the news. Infiniti awarded the global ad account to CP&B in 2014, with the account being led out of its office in Boulder, Colorado. The global account, run by then global marketing vice-president Vincent Gillet, included handling the car brand’s global marketing and planning, as well as creative development, in China, Europe and North America.
ChannelMum.com/the7stars – Iceland
Frozen food specialist, Iceland, has signed a further 12-month deal with the UK’s fastest-growing video parenting website ChannelMum.com, doubling its spend year on year, after a warm reception from viewers which surpassed all expectations. The original partnership with ChannelMum.com was planned to run for just three months from May to August 2016, but was extended from September - April 2017. Iceland has now signed a 12-month contract as part of an exclusive deal with Channelmum.com. The latest phase of Iceland’s Power of Frozen campaign will comprise of 54 vlogger-created video videos plus an additional 50 shorter-form videos for Facebook and Instagram - 104 in total. The UK’s largest independent media buying agency, The 7 Stars, brokered the deal between Iceland and Channel Mum.
