Pitch Watch: Initiative wins Specsavers; Bohemia on notice as Vodafone looks to call media review
Mumbrella casts an eye over the major media, creative and public relations pitches at play in market.
In this week’s wrap up: Specsavers (account win), Vodafone (media review).
Specsavers appoints new media agency
Mediacom Melbourne has faced another major account loss with Specsavers appointing Initiative Melbourne following a competitive pitch.
Mumbrella revealed the pitch back in March with Initiative now set to work in partnership with Specsavers’ marketing team and creative agency Cummins and Partners.
The final shortlist is thought to be Mediacom, Initiative and Carat.
Initiative Melbourne managing director Stephen Fisher said: “We are delighted to have been appointed to work with Specsavers. They are a great business and have demonstrated through the pitch process how important and valued marketing is to their success and we look forward to helping drive that into the future.
“This appointment is a fantastic validation of the calibre of work we’re producing and the team at Initiative. I am extremely proud of everyone in our business and it’s great to be able to welcome Specsavers as a client.”
Mediacom Melbourne has lost a number of accounts in the last 12 months including the high profile AFL account and is currently defending the Energy Australia account.
Vodafone tipped to call media review
Independent media agency Bohemia is set to pitch for one of its biggest clients, Vodafone, with Australia’s third largest telco understood to be considering calling a review later this week.
Any decision to pitch the $20m-plus account would be a fresh blow to Bohemia which, as Mumbrella revealed last month, just lost its biggest client, Lion – alcohol brands, which went to market in early June.
Should a media pitch be called GroupM agency MEC is likely to be in prime position given it holds the account in all other markets globally.
Comment has been sought from both Bohemia and Vodafone.
Bohemia won the Vodafone account back in late 2013 with the buying account being moved from Ikon Communications after the agency was first awarded the strategy component in 2012.
Vodafone has recently launched a major brand push aimed at promoting the strength of its mobile network, today announcing Nova Entertainment would use the mobile network to link its studio and transmitters over the next six weeks.
