Lion names Thinkerbell as sole creative agency partner
Lion has appointed independent agency Thinkerbell as its sole creative agency.
Thinkerbell has had a relationship with the alcohol brand since 2019 when the agency was added to Lion’s creative agency roster along with 72 and Sunny.
Lion’s Beer and Cider Portfolio
Thinkerbell CEO Margie Reid said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be working with Lion across all of their brands in both a creative and earned capacity. Although this account will be split across both our South and North offices this win is testimony to the exceptional leadership of Katy Dally (GM Sydney).
“Lion has a genuine belief that investing in and harnessing the power of creativity drives commercial outcomes. We are looking forward to pushing creative boundaries and supercharging their brand portfolio over the coming years. We can’t wait to make more Measured Magic together.”
Lion’s consumer and brand director, Anubha Sahasrabuddhe, said: “Australian culture is evolving, and the beer category needs to better understand and reflect those changes. To connect with the next generation of drinkers we need to redefine the role our brands play in their lives, and we believe Thinkerbell is the right partner to have along with us on that journey.”
Lion’s connections director, Ed Stening, commented: “By reaching consumers where we can have most impact, we can realise our brand growth objectives and drive better conversion and ROI. We’re now working to establish in-house expertise across creative strategy, media, digital, partnerships and connections planning to help unlock this potential.
“The pairing of this new model with Thinkerbell’s deep consumer understanding and creativity will power our ambition to challenge existing cultural norms around beer advertising.”
The account will be split across both Thinkerbell’s Sydney and Melbourne offices.
On shifting from a roster to a single agency, Sahasrabuddhe said: “We recognised that we needed to get closer to the consumer and building deeper relationships within a close group of strategic agency partners in each key discipline is an important part of that.”
Along with 72 and Sunny, Host/Havas was also on Lion’s creative agency roster. Lion engaged Trinity P3 to conduct a comprehensive agency review process prior to the appointment of Thinkerbell.
In April this year, Thinkerbell created the ‘Unbelievable’ campaign for Lion’s Furphy beer.
The news comes after Mumbrella reported Bega Cheese consolidated its media account with Starcom. Thinkerbell remains the lead creative agency for Vegemite, which is owned by Bega Cheese. Bega Cheese acquired Lion Dairy & Drinks from Lion in November 2020, which has since been renamed to Bega Dairy & Drinks.
Host/Havas declined to comment.
Mumbrella has approached 72 and Sunny for comment as well.
