1) Etihad
In July Publicis Groupe- owned Starcom won the global media planning and buying account for Etihad Airways and its three largest partner airlines Alitalia, Air Berlin and Jet Airways. Much sought after, several agency networks had been invited to pitch for the consolidated account in April including Etihad Airways’ incumbent agency MediaCom. Incumbents for the other airlines involved were OMD for Air Berlin, Mindshare for Alitalia and Dentsu Aegis Network for Jet Airways. The combined media spend of all the airlines is unknown but when MediaCom and Digitas LBi won Etihad’s media and digital accounts respectively in 2012, the estimated spend was $160 million. In August, following a separate pitch, Cheil was awarded the airline’s global digital and social marketing brief.
2) Emirates
Emirates appointed an interdisciplinary WPP team in August to handle its global branding and creative account. Team Air brought together staff from Grey’s London and New York offices, Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R, Geometry Global, Hogarth and TNS. It was not known whether Geometry Global Dubai would be involved in the account. Emirates began its branding and creative review last year. Before that it worked with Nomads from 2013.
3 Al-Futtaim Group
In November, the Al- Futtaim Group chose to outsource its media buying and communications in a move away from its in-house model. Gmasco, which is based in Dubai Festival City, had previously undertaken the conglomerate’s media planning and buying, creative and public relations. The media account, one of the biggest in the region, was won by PHD.
4)Ferrero
Another big win for PHD, this time the media buying and planning account for Italian confectioner Ferrero in the Middle East. The win also included other emerging markets such as South East Asia, Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Africa and selected European countries. The chocolatier, which is best known for its Ferrero Rocher sweets, made the appointment in June following a comprehensive review of its brand portfolio.
5) Egypt Tourism Authority
After a protracted pitch J. Walter Thompson Cairo and Mindshare won the advertising and media business for Egypt Tourism Authority’s global account in August. Up to 10 agencies were believed to have pitched for the business – which is valued at $68 million – including DDB Europe, Saatchi & Saatchi and Memac Ogilvy. J. Walter Thompson and Mindshare pitched for the business together, with J. Walter Thompson responsible for all of Egypt Tourism Authority’s creative advertising globally.
6) Nissan
In November, Japanese international car manufacturer Nissan began a review of its multi-million dollar media planning and buying account in the Middle East following a six-year partnership with Mindshare. The successful agency will begin working with Nissan from the start of the next financial year, which kicks off on April 1. The incumbent, Mindshare MENA, is pitching for the business against MediaVest, Initiative and OMD. Fadi Ghosn, chief marketing officer at Nissan Middle East, said: “This is part of our global process where the objective is to be extremely transparent on the process and that is what we are trying to achieve.” A decision has yet to be made.
7) New Suez Canal Team
WPP won the New Suez Canal brief in June, with Memac Ogilvy chosen as the lead agency for global communications surrounding the August opening in Egypt. Team WPP, led by Memac Ogilvy, included support from Memac Ogilvy Public Relations, Media Waves, Emeco Travel, J. Walter Thompson, Richard Attias and Mindshare. The appointment was made by the Suez Canal Authority.
8) McDonald’s
Fast food giant McDonald’s called a 22-country pitch in April as it searched for an agency to create a major brand campaign for the region. The single project pitch involved McDonald’s’ globally aligned agencies including DDB, TBWA\ Raad and Leo Burnett, the latter of which has held McDonald’s regional account since 2010. The regional account was not affected by the pitch. The project was eventually won by DDB and the new campaign will air across the Middle East and North Africa.
9) Reckitt Benckiser
In April, UM MENA walked away with the media planning and buying brief for Reckitt Benckiser across the region following an extensive review of the business. The Interpublic Group agency was chosen to work with the multinational consumer goods company across its portfolio of brands including Dettol, Veet, Durex, and Scholl. The account is among the top three FMCG advertisers in the Middle East.
10) Vodafone
Qatar May saw Memac Ogilvy named Vodafone Qatar’s lead integrated marketing agency of record following an extensive review. The agency took over responsibility for the planning, managing and implementation of marketing and advertising campaigns for Vodafone within Qatar, with Memac Ogilvy assuming responsibilities for the business from 1 June. The account had previously been held by Agency 222.
