fbpx

TBWA\ gets hold of some liquid assets

There will undoubtedly be a few bottles of Montana (or is that Brancott Estate?) consumed in the TBWA towers in the coming months after it disrupted Pernod Ricard New Zealand into handing over its business. And, once again, TBWA will be working closely with Mitchell Communication Group on the account, which won the media business from ZenithOptimedia.
The appointment, which will involve key creative, strategic and activation elements, including digital, PR and sponsorship, for the New Zealand market, covers a number of Pernod Ricard New Zealand’s domestic wine and spirit brands, including Brancott Estate, Stoneleigh, Church Road, Deutz, Jacob’s Creek, G.H. Mumm, Absolut, Chivas Regal, Jameson, Havana Club, Malibu and Kahlúa.

“As part of a wider global agency alignment, TBWA are a complementary fit for our business, with a proven track record in our industry. We’re already developing a number of key brand initiatives with them, and look forward to some stellar results,” says Kieran Stevens, Pernod Ricard New Zealand’s deputy managing director in charge of domestic sales and marketing.

Aaron Taylor, TBWA’s general manager, says the two parties have been in discussion for a couple months now and he says the relationship initially came about through a network alignment with Absolut. But he says the agency won Pernod Ricard’s trust quickly after helping them with a couple of projects (that are unable to be spoken of).

“They fell in love with disruption and media arts. The liquor industry is bloody competitive. And you have to make the budgets work really hard,” he says. And TBWA’s disruptive approach to business does just that.

Taylor says the success of 2degrees was instrumental in sealing the deal. And like that client, as it did for ASB, Pernod Ricard will also be receiving the collaborative treatment, with Mitchells working closely with TBWA.

As Taylor says, TBWA “haven’t had a whole lot of good news lately”. But he says it’s great to get some new business so quickly after ASB’s departure. And, like chief executive Dave Walden, he says it has given the agency a chance to reinvent and really focus on ramping up the integration.

“The account is a real priority for us. Pernod Ricard are going through a real growth phase. And when you’ve got an ambitious client that’s keen to succeed, you tend to do your best work. And they’re similar in culture and belief to TBWA,” he says.

Taylor couldn’t comment on whether its work for the new global Montana brand, Brancott Estate, would be used overseas. But it seems likely.

About Author

Comments are closed.