Ogilvy has added to its retail portfolio by penning the Number One Shoes brand into its ledger.
As is sometimes the case with account wins, the interested parties have declined to comment on the process behind the change. StopPress contacted the Number One Shoes advertising team, but we are yet to receive a response. And when Ogilvy executive director Paul Manning was asked for his thoughts on winning the account, he said that he was not in a position to comment.
This win comes at a good time for Ogilvy in that the agency recently also picked the Sealord account.
Number One Shoes appears to be a good fit for Ogilvy, given the agency’s retail pedigree. Ogilvy already works with big retail spenders such as Brisoces Group and Countdown, and this account will add a sizeable chunk to its revenue.
Over the last three years, Number One Shoes has spent an average of around $6 million per annum and it’s regarded as the biggest shoe retailer in the country.
StopPress understands that there was no pitch involved in the account changing hands, and that Ogilvy and Number Shoes came to an agreement independently. Prior to signing with Ogilvy, the retail brand had taken its marketing and communications in-house (before that the company worked with Contagion).
It’s thought that Number One Shoe’s decision to sign Ogilvy has led to the dissolution of the in-house marketing team, which in turn means that Rae Langley, the general manager of marketing and e-commerce, has left the business. StopPress understands that change has also led to several other redundancies at the business, with agency-type roles now being picked up by Ogilvy.
Much of the brand’s TV advertising has until now been quintessential retail, but some of its print work looks to be targeting a more fashionable set and it has also run several quirky activations through Starseed PR.
On the topic of good news for Ogilvy, the agency will also be watching the process of Briscoes Group taking over Kathmandu, as this move could potentially lead to the marketing and comms business for the brand shifting into the Ogilvy stable.