Diageo to stick with Leo Burnett despite global Beam Suntory win
Leo Burnett appears to have dodged a major conflict bullet with its longstanding client Diageo after the Publicis-owned network won the global Beam Suntory business.
The Works became the global creative lead on Jim Beam.
Beam Suntory put the unified global creative account out to pitch in November last year, ending a longstanding relationship with Sydney agency The Works, which had managed to grow a local slice of the account into the role of lead creative agency globally.
However, the decision by Beam Suntory to align the business with a single agency globally saw The Works dropped from the business along with a lose alliance of two other agencies which was called StoryWorks comprising The Works, Mekanism in the US and Jung von Matt in Germany.
In late December Beam Suntory announced that Leo Burnett Chicago had won the business, opening the potential for a local conflict with Leo Burnett’s Diageo business, which includes Bundaberg Rum.
It is understood that Diageo in Australia has been assured that Leo Burnett’s local agencies will have no input on the global business which will be operated entirely out of Leo Burnett’s Chicago headquarters.
The company had already adopted a totally globalised creative strategy for Jim Beam led by The Works which built the brand’s message around actor Mila Kunis. The agency also added other Beam Suntory brands to its roster including Canadian Club.
Canadian Club is one brand in the Beam Suntory stable that has been heavily localised.
However, while the Beam brand has adopted a global strategy, Candadian Club as had success in localising its message with the tactic of asking consumers if they were over beer.
The agency won the Grand Effie for its Canadian Club work in 2015
The agency family recruited former Kangaroo Route beer drinking champion, cricketer David Boon to spruik the brand. The agency won the Grand Effie for its Canadian Club work in 2015.
The global win for Leo Burnett in Chicago was a huge boost for the agency which last year lost its hold on the McDonald’s creative account.
A spokesperson for Leo Burnett in Australia confirmed that the agency would not have any connection with the global business and that the relationship with Diageo was unchanged.
The consolidation of Beam Suntory’s branding and communications overseas began in March last year when the Australian three-person media and communications team was disbanded and the function moved to Beam Suntory’s Chicago offices – just a short walk from the global headquarters of Leo Burnett.
