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Pizza Hut appoints Host as lead creative agency following pitch

Screen Shot 2014-11-06 at 1.34.09 PMPizza Hut has appointed Host as its lead creative agency following a competitive pitch which saw a total of 12 agencies fight it out for the account, Mumbrella can reveal.

Host will provide Pizza Hut’s creative strategy and development, taking over from incumbent M&C Saatchi Sydney after eight years after the agency declined to repitch for the business.

Pizza Hut head of marketing and innovation Fatima Syed said: “After conducting a comprehensive review, we are delighted to have selected Host as our lead creative agency. We selected Host because of their ability to address our changing business needs which we believe will enhance our marketing strategy for 2015.

“Host also demonstrated to us that they understand our business and the need for dynamic ways of thinking, particularly in the digital arena. Their innovative approach to our business will be invaluable in helping us to continue to build our presence in the world of e-commerce.”

Group CEO at Host Anthony Freedman said: “Everyone at Host is absolutely thrilled to be working with Pizza Hut. We very much look forward to developing stand out work befitting this iconic global brand.”

“We’d like to take the opportunity to thank M&C Saatchi for a fantastic eight year partnership with Pizza Hut. They have delivered advertising which has had a positive impact on the brand and business and we wish them well for the future,” said Syed.

The creative account was put out for pitch in September and is thought have been run internally.

The appointment follows Pizza Hut going head-to-head with rival Dominos in a marketing price war in June, which saw the two fast-food outlets slash prices.

In September, a Pizza Hut franchise in Victoria came under fire for running an unapproved promotion offering people who purchased 10 pizzas a “free small animal”.

Host clients include Air New Zealand, Bankwest, BT Financial Group, MYOB and Playstation.

Miranda Ward

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