Foundation retains media as Omnicom wins global remit for Mercedes-Benz
Omnicom Media Group agency, Foundation has defended its Mercedes-Benz media account in Australia, while Omnicom beat out Publicis Groupe to win the creative account after automotive giant Daimler finalised its global review.
Foundation will continue to run the luxury brand’s media, with the creation of ‘Team X’, an Omnicom team construct, made up of group talent in Australia to handle the brand’s creative.
The wider global remit includes CRM, brand and performance creative, web personalisation and content automation, public relations and events, and organic/paid social sponsorship.
Omnicom has won Mercedes Benz’s consolidated account
Omnicom confirmed the result of the review this morning, with general manager of Foundation, Liz Wigmore commenting the agency is delighted to continue its long relationship with Mercedes-Benz: “We are very pleased to continue our longstanding relationship with Mercedes-Benz which has stretched over the last 17 years. Mercedes-Benz holds a special place within our agency as it was our first client.”
Mercedes-Benz appointed Publicis to handle its creative duties on a global level in 2018, though Australian campaigns in recent years have been Clemenger BBDO and The Royals, among others.
At the time of that appointment, Publicis created a bespoke agency, Publicis Emil, based in Berlin, to handle the global account.
Mercedes-Benz parent company Daimler also confirmed the appointment on its Twitter account this morning, commenting that it has opted for a combined global media, brand and performance marketing solutions “across all phases of the customer journey”.
We are bundling our global media, brand and performance marketing activities across all phases of the customer journey. @MercedesBenz will create a fully integrated, global agency model awarding the bespoke @Omnicom Group.#MercedesBenz #OmnicomGroup #transformation pic.twitter.com/qsVUhsHYKs
— Daimler Truck (@DaimlerTruck) September 20, 2021
Mumbrella reported in May that the global account had been put to review, with Foundation looking to defend its biggest client. Foundation has been the auto brand’s media agency since 2004.
The new consolidated account, run by ‘Team X’ will commence in January 2022, with Omnicom expanding its duties after being the incumbent on most of Mercedes’ media and marketing. Foundation will sit within the Team X construct.
Global CEO and chairman of Omnicom, John Wren said: “Mercedes-Benz was looking for a holistic agency partner that could help deploy a sustainable and globally consistent luxury experience for the company’s brand promise around the world for the first time.”
Britta Seeger, member of the board of management of Daimler AG and Mercedes-Benz AG responsible for sales, said: “With this decision, Mercedes-Benz is setting the next milestone in consistent customer communication on all channels – online and offline. By bringing together a new, fully integrated unit, Mercedes-Benz is re-orchestrating all of its communication content across all channels to deliver a data-driven, personalised and seamless brand experience for customers at all touchpoints worldwide. This is where ‘Team X’ will act as our holistic, fully networked agency partner for globally sustainable, efficient and effective communication.”
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Calum Jaspan was news editor at Mumbrella, based in Melbourne. He was also the producer and host of the Mumbrellacast. He left Mumbrella in May 2023.
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