Z Energy has confirmed to StopPress that its creative account is currently undergoing a review process, which includes a pitch involving several parties.
“I don’t think it’s any secret that after five years as a stand-alone local company we’re having a look at how we partner in the creative space,” said a Z Energy spokesperson in an email.
Back in December, Z Energy also reviewed its digital account and, after a pitch, reappointed Heyday as its agency.
The Z Energy account is split into retail, which is held by JWT, creative, which is currently held by Assignment Group, and digital, which is currently held by Heyday, but this review only involves the creative side of the business.
The Z Energy spokesperson was asked who was involved in the pitch, but would not be drawn into commenting (Assignment Group also wouldn’t comment on the pitch).
“This is an ongoing process that out of respect to the parties involved we want to keep in house for now,” the spokesperson said.
StopPress understands that Assignment Group is involved in the pitch, but at this stage it’s still unclear which other agencies are vying for the account.
Over the course of the last year, Z Energy has been quite active in promoting its business. In October, the company launched the ‘Blokhedz’ collectibles campaign, which invoked the power of pester sales to attract customers.
Z Energy has also been quite adventurous with its marketing, experimenting with Vines to get its messages across.
We’ve got #superlonghoses at your local Z. Park either side and #ZipthruZ today!
This quirky approach also extends to YouTube and Facebook, where the energy company has posted a series of quirky videos that feature commentators voicing-over the actions of people visiting the petrol station.
On the more conventional side, the company has also focused on telling the story of how customers inspired a series of changes at the company.
According to Nielsen’s rate card figures, Z Energy spent over $6.8 million on advertising over the course of 2014.
