UM has landed Qtel’s media planning and buying account following a competitive pitch.
The awarding of the account follows a second round of pitch presentations. The incumbent on the account was OMD. The pitch was called last summer, with Qtel’s creative account also put up for review.
No decision on the advertising brief has been publicly disclosed, although it is believed to be at the shootout stage involving two finalists. The incumbent of Qtel’s creative account is Impact BBDO Qatar. These two pitches follow the review of Qtel International’s media buying and planning business earlier in 2010. That pitch was eventually won by Starcom Beirut.
Also still up for grabs are both Qtel Virgin Mobile Service’s (QVMS) media and creative accounts. No decision has yet been made, although the incumbent on the QVMS creative account is Start, with Leo Burnett Qatar, Impact BBDO Qatar and Saatchi & Saatchi Dubai all invited to pitch in the second round.
The pitch for QVMS had been incorporated into Qtel’s ongoing review of its domestic advertising and media accounts. The mobile service originally launched as Virgin Mobile Qatar. However, for reasons undisclosed by the telecoms firm, the youth-focused service provider has since been renamed QVMS.
Qtel’s stated goal is to be among the top 20 telecoms companies in the world by 2020.
