Lion adds 72 and Sunny and Thinkerbell to its creative roster
Alcohol giant Lion has shaken up its agency roster, appointing 72 and Sunny and Thinkerbell to its creative account, Mumbrella can reveal.
Mumbrella also understands that Host/Havas has expanded its remit, working with multiple brands across the Lion portfolio.
Lion has shaken up its creative roster, adding 72 and Sunny, Host/Havas and Thinkerbell
Lion marketing director, Gerard Smith, told Mumbrella: “We have a wide range of distinct brands in the Lion portfolio and so it makes sense for us to work with a number of different agencies who bring a diversity of creative perspectives.”
72 and Sunny confirmed to Mumbrella that amongst the house of Lion brands it will be working on Kosciuszko Pale Ale.
A spokesperson for 72 and Sunny said: “We’re confirming we’re working now working with Lion across a number of brands, and are looking forward to our first work coming out for Kosciuszko Pale Ale.”
72 and Sunny opened its Australian office in 2017, with founding clients Google, Dropbox and eBay – which recently added CHE Proximity to its roster. The agency was also made a full-time partner on the Optus roster in March 2018 – a relationship which ended just one year later.
In May, 72 and Sunny launched a campaign for Uber which reflected a mock in-flight safety video.
Earlier this year, Thinkerbell produced a campaign for Lion brand Hahn’s rice-based ‘Ultra Crisp’ beer.
Adam Ferrier, co-founder and chief thinker at Thinkerbell, told Mumbrella: “We’re loving working with Lion, and some of their amazing brands. It’s great for Thinkerbell Sydney to be working with such an ambitious marketing group, and we’re bloody excited about what’s coming up.”
Thinkerbell was also launched in 2017, with Ferrier among the co-founders with Jim Ingram and Ben Couzens.
Early last year, it won the creative account for Vegemite, ending the brand’s 74 year relationship with JWT. This relationship was then expanded when the agency was appointed to run all media and creative accounts for Bega – which owns the Vegemite brand. Recently, Thinkerbell also won the creative account for Seafolly.
A spokesperson for Lion also confirmed to Mumbrella that Ogilvy was still on its agency roster.
Ogilvy was first appointed to the creative account of Lion Beer Hahn Superdry in 2014. The agency’s partnership with Lion expanded in 2016, handing Ogilvy the creative duties for XXXX Summer Bright Lager.
Later that year, Lion ended its 20-year relationship with BMF and consolidated its beer brands between Ogilvy and Host. Advertising agencies Host and Havas merged in 2017.
In 2017, Host/Havas launched the ‘Born of Tasmania’ campaign for James Boag.
Mumbrella has contacted Host/Havas for comment.
In November last year, Lion appointed VML – now VMLY&R – to its digital account.
Hey yeah,let’s have as many agencies as we want.One for each brand.Nah,even better let’s call everything a project and talk to even more agencies!
Ah CMO’s…gotta love ‘em.
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Well done Adam, Jim, Cuz & Margie.
Clients get the work they deserve.
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Thanks H.
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This “roster” scrap over making one piece of outdoor and a 30sec TV spot for “their brand”, every 12 months if they are lucky.
All the while Lion make “content” on the cheap with other suppliers they often deem worthy for broadcast, and regularly take key visuals from point of sale work and adapt them to outdoor.
Add to that endless rounds of creative testing, animatics, and a bare bones rate card developed by some snake oil selling pitch consultant.
Oh, and a pitch to the roster if you can’t crack the brief with the moving goal posts.
It’s such a shame that Lion’s iconic beer brands have become the briefs you want to avoid in an agency.
No wonder the next generation have stopped drinking them.
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Yep, Lion have out done Telcos to be the client to avoid.
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I thought they’d become the first agency in history to lose more clients than they’d won.
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Lion used to be the client everyone looked up to. The past couple of years have been woeful – such a swift decline.
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Is the president of 72 Sydney afraid to put a named quote online?
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Just saw 72andSunnys work for Kosciusko….congrats, really fresh for a beer. Best Lion work so far this year.
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Congrats team 72 and Lion, excited to see whats next.
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