Mumbrella casts an eye over the major media, creative and public relations pitches at play in market.
In today’s wrap up: Merlin Entertainments plc (PR appointment); Spotify (creative account); Table of Plenty (creative account); Silversea Cruises (media account); Menulog (media); Adelaide Oval Stadium Management Authority (creative account).
Merlin Entertainments assigns PR to deliver Legoland campaign
Thrive PR has been named as the PR agency of record for Merlin Entertainment’s new Legoland Discovery Centre and playground at the Chadstone Shopping Centre in Melbourne.
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A campaign for the new site will include a series of event launches and social media initiatives.
Marketing director at Merlin Entertainments, Scott Lee, confirmed the announcement, saying: “We’re excited to be working with the team at Thrive PR. They delivered a comprehensive, creative and strategic proposal and we are looking forward to seeing it come to fruition. There are a number of milestones to share along the way.”
Thrive’s managing director, Leilani Abels, said the company was pleased to be working with the global brand, as “Lego is one of the most recognised brands in the world and Merlin Entertainments plc is synonymous the world over as a leading name in location-based, family entertainment”.
Spotify announces creative partnership
Spotify has announced an ongoing partnership with Made in Katana to help the brand produce interactive advertising experiences.
Made in Katana partnered previously with the music streaming service for campaigns such as Disney / Marvel’s Doctor Strange, Spotify’s X-Factor Australia and, more recently, Volkswagen and Beats electronics.
Laura Byrne, marketing director at Made in Katana, said: “The audio streaming landscape is experiencing a really explosive period of growth and innovation, with Spotify the market leader in this space. We’re thrilled to be their preferred partner to deliver cutting-edge ad solutions for clients across Australia.”
Matt Bryant, client creative lead at Spotify Australia & NZ, added: “Made in Katana have been producing great work with us recently, creating unique and exciting experiences for clients that drive solid engagement amongst our music-loving audience. We’re looking forward to what’s next.”
Table of Plenty announces creative account win
Table of Plenty has announced Publicis Melbourne as the winner of its creative account.
The agency’s first work following its appointment will be an out-of-home campaign which will be announced in coming weeks.
Tal Weiss, co-founder at Table of Plenty, said: “We were blown away by the quality of the team at Publicis and how quickly they have managed to tune in to Table of Plenty’s mission and to translate it with great clarity. We are looking forward to a long working relationship.”
Georgina Pownall, general manager at Publicis Melbourne, said of the appointment: “Table of Plenty has a clear purpose to help improve people’s lives, and the positioning of their products reflects that purpose. They are preparing for an accelerated stage of growth and we are very keen to help them achieve their ambitions.”
Hyland Media adds three brands to roster
Silversea Cruises has announced Hyland Media and Communications Group (HM Communications Group) will run its media account following a competitive four-way pitch process.
The appointment is the first of three account wins for the agency in recent weeks.
HM Communications Group has also won media and content duties for B2B Solutions as well as Flynn Health.
Virginia Hyland, founder and principal at HM Communications Group, said: “It has been an outstanding year for Hyland, following on from winning P&G Specialty Group brands that were purchased by COTY. We have shown clients that it is possible to achieve end-to-end solutions by accessing a team of great media and content people who can develop well-rounded ideas for their business.”
Commenting on the agency’s success, Hyland said: “The secret to the success of the team is that all disciplines sit side-by-side at the agency, which means we are nimble and faster to market with ideas that truly deliver results for businesses.”
The agency’s total billings before content income equate to $10m for 2016.
Menulog consolidates media requirements
Match Media has been appointed to handle all of the media requirements for Menulog following a competitive pitch with billings in excess of $10m.
The agency already handles the media planning and buying for the brand and will now take on responsibility for all of Menulog’s digital marketing.
Tasman Page, head of marketing at Menulog, said: “Match Media really impressed us with their approach to PPC and, most importantly, their strategic thinking in this space. As the clear market leaders in food delivery, we have a huge amount of data to work with. Match have data at the heart of their thinking and approach, so they are a great fit for us.”
Duncan Parfitt, head of performance and analytics at Match Media, added: “We are thrilled to be working with Menulog on the complete digital marketing remit and cementing the great relationship we have built over the last 2 years working together on the offline media. Menulog is a dynamic and forward thinking business and we are excited to help deliver great work that helps their business continue growing.”
Adelaide Oval Stadium Management Authority announces creative
Adelaide Oval Stadium Management Authority has renewed its contract with Kojo, signing on for another five years.
Kojo previously delivered content for Adelaide football teams and has worked closely with the Australian National Football League, South Australian Cricket Association, Cricket Australia, Australian Football League and Football Federation Australia.
Alongside the new contract, Kojo Sport has invested in software and hardware upgrades to support its content, video and multimedia production.
Andrew Daniels, CEO at Adelaide Oval Stadium Management Authority, said: “We are delighted to extend our partnership with Kojo on the back of an initial three-year term, which has set the benchmark for fan experience across the nation. Adelaide Oval has developed a reputation for providing an amazing event day atmosphere and Kojo has played a major part in this.”
Stephen Lord, chief strategy officer at Kojo, hopes the partnership will help to expand fan experiences and engagement in coming years.
“The opportunity to be involved from initial planning of the Adelaide Oval production facility, then working with clubs on creative ways to build the right in-stadium atmosphere, through to running each game day production, has provided Kojo Sport with a unique perspective on how to engage fans,” Lord said.
“At Kojo we offer a total solution for brands and stadiums, from strategy through to execution; this is where our team excels, delivering a creative yet consistent approach that truly engages fans.”