Leo Burnett scoops BMW Singapore creative account from Ogilvy
Leo Burnett Singapore has been awarded the creative account for BMW in Singapore a month after winning the Asian regional account.
The Publicis Communications agency will handle creative and tactical work for Performance Motors, the Singaporean distributor of BMW with whom the account is contracted.
The contract will run for one year from September with the option of renewal after 12 months, PML confirmed.
The appointment marks the end of PML and BMWs’ three-year relationship with Ogilvy & Mather, which won the account from Y&R in 2014.
DDB’s Blk J and Formul8 were also shortlisted in the final round for the BMW account alongside Ogilvy.
Managed by consultancy R3, the pitch was first launched in March this year. Following the appointment of Leo Burnett to the Asian account, further procurement talks took place between PML and the R3 until the decision was made to hand Leo Burnett the local account.
BMW Asia recently said farewell to it director of marketing Sonja Piontek. She is to be replaced by BMW Asia’s network development head Brenda Pek in October.
BMW recently appointed Wieden+Kennedy to handle creative duties in China, alongside Interone. BMW-owned brand Mini also recently put its Singaporean creative business out to pitch after GOVT resigned the account.
Meanwhile, Ogilvy has struggled to maintain a number of accounts across Asia in recent months. Ogilvy recently lost its position as agency-of-record for Singtel to BBH, which resulted in a number of job losses. The agency also lost the creative account for Audi in China – coincidentally to Leo Burnett as well.
Now that all 3 agencies (LB, Saatchis and Publicis) are sharing the same physical office, doesn’t that mean BMW and Audi are gonna be literally under the same roof?
ReplyThe problem with ogilvy is its top creative leadership….there is none.
decades of doing print ads for errr…..god, death, the east timor tourist board do not create a leader ready to work in the realities of today. I suspect they would rather do the occasional short running campaign for french art house films than responsibly sustain an account that makes a difference and helps the bulk of their staff hold down a job.
Sad.
ReplyWhat Chinese wall. Wonder how Audi is going to feel about BMW team and Audi team sharing ideas and strategies? Interesting that PML only signed on LB for 1 year. Think it says a lot. This is going to be a messy, short ride. Where’s the popcorn?
Replyno worries, given the creative skills under the roof, we can say the advertising for all three will be uniform and consistent 🙂
ReplyConflict can be managed just like how the consultancy, banking, professional audit industry has been managing it for many years. By the way, are you from Ogilvy?
ReplyOwnself check ownself.
ReplyDo people write them in advance and then just PASTE when the story hits.
How about we try
“Congratulations Agency X, another win, another account, another piece of bright news for an agency that seems to be doing something very right.”
Rather than
“Agency X sucks. They’ll do bad work. They won’t keep it. Look at the contract. Look at their office. Look at this person we don’t like”
It’s as depressing as it is predictble
ReplyLaughable state of affairs….three agencies shortlisted, none of which have any substantial experience on automotive brands. And while we’re at it, ask yourself — does the previous holder of the account have
desirable automotive experience? Experience doesn’t mean just ticking a box…it means doing something tangible and positive.
Gone are the days when agencies cultivated and were hired upon certain proven strengths. Now its all about let us show you how to leverage data…..pfffft. Have at it. But you won’t sell any cars.
Reply@Jackson I think it would be unfair to say all 4 agencies had a lack of substantive automotive experience. How would you justify that? I am sure R3 and the BMW marketers reviewed a long list of agencies, there was a chemistry meeting before the final shortlist, so any agency making that shortlist should be happy to even make that cut, keeping in mind there were many agencies on the long list. I do think the final choice boiled down to pricing which is unfortunate.
@Baboy – not from any of the shortlisted companies.
ReplyI’m sure that there were cheaper options available. There were local shops on the shortlist, Ogilvy would have cut their price to the bone (they needed to keep this) and Blk J are looking for a client that pays a decent retainer and would have been flexible on this.
To jump to the conclusion that this was a price decision (versus a team / thinking / organization / idea / efficiency / capability decision) seems to be a little reductive.
With you on the automotive experience. Ogilvy, Leo and the local shop are chock full of people who know that Singapore auto market inside out, and via DDB Blk J are pretty clued in too. Who has more experience in the market?
Replycan you tell me what commendable automotive experience these 3 shortlisted shops have? is doing weekend ads for COE offers considered automotive experience? Is working on VW in SG market considered auto experience? Let’s face it, they were scraping the bottom of the barrel here….there haven’t been any noteworthy auto campaigns for years and years….there was a time when kinetic did some noticeable work for Mini….and before that Batey on Mercedes.
ReplyI am sure Mumbrella will post the work here when it’s out and you will see what I mean.
Ah, I see, your complaint is with the state of the Singapore industry, not with the 4 shops shortlisted.
Can you tell me when anyone in Singapore did ANY commendable work?
Was there an agency that could have won this that you’d have been happy to cheer for?
Perhaps if people spent more time on the work and less time bitching about the fact that they’ve not won anything in aeons here on Mumbrella things would be better
ReplyInteresting to note that the person who runs LB has no experience on running car brands…a fairly process driven, career SIA suit from batey and later tbwa, used to SIA style of advertising. From Singapore Girl to BMW Girl.
ReplyShe’s also won more new business at Leo this year than you have in the last three.
Replyyes, nearly forgot, oodles of new business….
you mean the 34th Annual Orchard Road LightUp?
ReplyRead the press lovely, read the press…
A lot more than that, and a lot more to come
Don’t be disingenuous now
Reply@Really I think you are missing the fact that the auto industry here vs Europe and N America is vastly different. It’s all tactical here and there are no manufacturers based in Singapore and the countries in Asia are only allowed to adapt work. Japan is not in the mix and that’s the only exclusion. So, it will only be tactical sales promotional ads and adaptation work. So don’t blame the agencies or the client – this is the reality of the business and markets here. There is no budget to pay for swanky brand ads and spots.
ReplyHave your say