WCRS – MoneySuperMarket
MoneySuperMarket has announced the appointment of WCRS as its new creative agency. WCRS won the brief in a four-way pitch process against Saatchi & Saatchi, AMV BBDO and Wieden & Kennedy and will start working with MoneySuperMarket in June. WCRS impressed MoneySuperMarket with its strategic and creative abilities, and by going the extra mile during the pitch process to get to know the business, its people and its culture, gaining a true insight into what drives the MoneySuperMarket team and customers.
Big Radical – Mind
Mental health charity Mind has appointed Big Radical to create innovative new ways of supporting people with their mental health, helping to shape the future of Mind and its online communities. The two organisations are closely aligned in understanding the need for a step-change in the quality of support available. Over the last 18 months, Big Radical has worked internally and with its network of specialists, practitioners and end users on a range of hacks and projects related to mental health. Specifically, it has explored the role digital technology and games can play in helping people understand, manage and mitigate the effects of depression more effectively. Through this activity, it has developed thinking and early ideas which are designed to enable people to reach out and support the needs of others, and support individuals’ mental health.
PR Agency One – Honcho
Honcho, the UK’s first online reverse auction marketplace for personal finance, has appointed PR Agency One to handle its UK launch in autumn 2018. Durham-based Honcho will disrupt the commonly used (but costly) Price Comparison Websites (PCWs), by firstly allowing car insurers to bid for business from young drivers, before eventually expanding into other personal finance products. The Manchester-based PR agency was appointed following a three way competitive pitch, and has already undertaken work to support honcho’s successful CrowdCube bid, during which it over-funded its £650,000 target, to secure £830,000 of investment. PR Agency One will oversee the strategy, creative and execution of Honcho’s consumer launch campaign, which will use PR targeted at millennials to drive customer growth and build brand awareness. The agency’s remit will also focus on winning share of voice within the media from PCWs and raising awareness of the service amongst insurers and brokers, via a dedicated trade PR strategy.
Saatchi & Saatchi – FFA
Football Federation Australia (FFA) has teamed up with creative agency Saatchi & Saatchi and media agency Starcom as part of a fresh approach to growing attendances and broadcast audiences across Football, including the Hyundai A-League. A number of high profile agencies were involved in a competitive selection process that began in February. FFA's head of commercial, digital and marketing, Luke Bould, said the arrival of the new agencies would complement a range of initiatives for the next Hyundai A-League and Westfield W-League seasons aimed at increasing attendances and viewership.
Ogilvy – ECDA
Ogilvy has announced a new partnership with the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) following a competitive pitch. This is the first partnership for ECDA and Ogilvy, and will see the agency driving integrated communications initiatives for ECDA for the next two years. The ECDA serves as the regulatory and developmental authority for the early childhood sector in Singapore, overseeing key aspects of children's development below the age of seven. In line with Singapore's new focus on the early childhood education sector, Ogilvy will spearhead strategic communications efforts for ECDA to recognise, attract and retain early childhood educators. This includes an integrated communications approach encompassing advertising, public relations, digital, social media and marketing events.
Havas London – The Department for Education
Creative agency Havas London has won its first piece of UK government business – triumphing in a competitive pitch for The Department for Education’s (DfE) teacher recruitment business. The pitch for the three-year, multi-million-pound contract began in March and was run through the Crown Commercial Service Campaign Solutions framework. Havas’ first work is expected to break in autumn 2018. The Kings Cross agency has been tasked with increasing the number of people who choose a career in teaching. The DfE has a stretching target to recruit approximately 35,000 into training each year – with a focus on both primary and secondary education, but particularly on priority secondary subjects (STEM and languages). This campaign is now one of the largest across government, and the DfE has increased marketing investment in recent years as competition for graduates has intensified, and the relative appeal of a career in teaching has waned. DfE’s agency for teacher recruitment over the past 3 years has been FCB Inferno who declined to take part in the pitch.
Media Agency Group – Your Legal Friend
Media Agency Group (MAG) has been appointed by national law firm Your Legal Friend to deliver media planning and buying campaigns, following a competitive six-way pitch. The brief will see MAG raise awareness of the legal firm which has over 35 years’ experience successfully providing justice for clients and has secured over £250 million compensation in the last decade alone. MAG will develop Your Legal Friend’s multi-channel approach as part of its wider push to increase market share in the medical negligence specialist area of law. Media Agency Group (MAG) is one of the UK’s leading independent Media Agencies with offices in both Manchester and London and has a diverse array of clients across the UK. Its clients include, Ferrari land, Jelly belly, Crystal maze, Visit Mexico, Bermuda tourism and Sykes cottages.
Infinity Nation – Boudavida
Infinity Nation, the specialist online retail growth agency, has been chosen by women’s athletic leisure clothing brand, Boudavida to help develop and implement its digital growth strategy. This appointment marks Infinity Nation’s ninth win in nine months. The agency, whose online retail strategies have proved successful with other clients including cycling brand, Rapha, hamper.com, Home Leisure Direct and Boxclever Press, continues to expand the diversity of its client list with the appointment of female-focussed athletic leisure brand, Boudavida. Boudavida aims to bring fashion and function together, creating clothes that make women feel good about their bodies and inspiring them to get active. They are strong advocates for female inclusion and empowerment in sport, donating 5% of every online sale to women-focussed charities, clubs and projects. As experts in online retail growth, Infinity Nation will be carrying out digital due diligence for Boudavida, followed by strategic planning and implementation.
Fruitbowl Digital – The Vidyalankar Group
Fruitbowl Digital has partnered with The Vidyalankar Group in a year-long mandate that includes the building the brand’s digital presence, as well as creating new communication campaigns to maintain and build brand awareness in this age of digital. The agency has been tasked with the entire spread of digital communication, including a remodel of the website, advanced social media operations including SEO and the development of a brand strategy to create engaging and creative content. Fruitbowl Digital would also be responsible for their media spends across all social platforms as well as the Google Search and Display Network to reiterate the brand’s standing. Students make up the majority of today’s digital audience and they are the spark behind most trends and conversations on social media platforms. Not all the content on these platforms appeals to them, but when it does, it stays, and it spreads. Needless to say, this mandate could thus prove to be fruitful for both parties.
TBD – Evernote
San Francisco-based agency TBD has been selected by Evernote as its new global creative agency for brand marketing and advertising services, providing strategy and creative development across a broad range of communications deliverables. To kick-off their new partnership, TBD will be supporting Evernote across several initiatives, including developing an integrated brand campaign to launch in late summer. This is TBD’s second client win following their Fall 2017 launch. They continue to broaden their portfolio of progressive, category-disrupting brands. This partnership comes on the heels of Rizuto’s selection as a Glass Lion jury member for the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2018. He is honoured for the chance to recognise culture-shifting creativity and work that consciously represents diversity. San Francisco-based Mediasmith will be handling media duties.
M3 – Harley-Davidson
A leading West Midlands full-service advertising agency is celebrating the launch of its new brand by sealing a hat-trick of client wins. M3, which offers creative, brand development, media planning and web development services, has secured £650,000 of new contracts to deliver campaigns for Harley-Davidson, Solmar Villas and Marston’s. It marks a 10% growth in turnover to £3.8m and comes at an ideal time for the agency, as it reveals its new corporate identity, ‘let’s do something’ positioning and ambitious plans to hit £5m fees by 2019. This drive will be spearheaded by new Creative Director Stuart Perry, who is well-known in the creative sector after executing global campaigns for McCann, Connect Group and Bigdog. Five new staff have been appointed as part of the expansion, including Stuart who has already played an instrumental role in securing Harley-Davidson. The popular Creative Director has worked with the prestigious motorcycle brand for over a decade and will now lead a team focused on developing the relationship further. M3 will also be overseeing PPC, e-newsletter and mobile marketing campaigns for a number of main dealerships, as well as supporting the European Marketing Team with a range of on and off-line projects, including a new clothing catalogue. M3, which employs a mix of creative, account management, digital specialists and media planners amongst its 30-strong team, is looking to open a second office in Birmingham shortly and is currently in the process of identifying a number of possible locations ahead of a summer opening.
Baaash Digital – Pepsodent
Baaash Digital, the digital communication and social content division of Creativeland Asia Group has recently won the digital marketing and social media mandate of Pepsodent, one of the world’s leading oral care brand. The account was won following a multi-agency pitch. Baaash Digital will create deeply engaging digital and social experiences to drive unprecedented engagement with Pepsodent’s audience online. With a keen focus on innovative and insight driven campaigns, Baaash digital will drive forward the brand’s vision and create high impact conversations across the digital and social ecosystem.
J. Walter Thompson – Grolsch
J Walter Thompson has picked up the global advertising account for the Asahi-owned beer brand Grolsch following a competitive pitch. The agency beat undisclosed agencies in a pitch process managed by The Observatory International. JWT will be responsible for developing a global brand platform for the brand and the account will be led out of its London office, working with local offices in specific markets. The appointment marks the first time that Grolsch has had a centralised global agency. In the UK, VCCP and BMB have previously worked on the business.
Hydrogen – Subway Scotland
Global sandwich brand Subway, has appointed specialist social media agency Hydrogen to handle its social media across Scotland, following an extended on-boarding process. The appointment will see Hydrogen handle day-to-day content as well as campaigns for the franchisees across the country. Subway Scotland is one of several clients that Hydrogen has won in the past month, with charity Worldwide Cancer Research, automotive video service CitNOW and Hydrogen-fuelled vehicle manufacturer HV-Systems all appointing the Glasgow-based agency.
72andSunny Sydney – Visionary Investment Group
Visionary Investment Group (VIG) and 72andSunny Sydney have entered into a strategic partnership as VIG continues to expand in and beyond Australia. The first venture between the two companies is a strategic vision and design project for Avondale, a new integrated luxury resort and residence in the Illawarra region, from Vision Investment Group. Moving beyond traditional advertising industry constructs, 72andSunny and VIG are seeking out the opportunity to curate a destination both creatively and physically.