National Lottery operator Allwyn Group has appointed VaynerMedia EMEA as global social creative and production agency of record, in a two-year partnership.
Eight agencies were initially involved in the process, which were shortlisted to five and then three in the final stage, including social agency Spin. There was no intermediary involved in the process.
VCCP was the incumbent, having worked with Allwyn on social since 2023, but did not repitch. Some social work was done in-house. VCCP continues to work on the creative account.
The appointment marks a “shift to social-first marketing” as the “cornerstone of Allwyn’s global brand”, the lottery company said.
“Allwyn is stepping into a new era of how the brand connects, delights and entertains its audiences,” Tatiana Jouanneau, group chief brand officer at Allwyn, said.
"If you're not shaping culture, you're chasing it, and for us, that's not an option. Today, attention is earned in the scroll, not assumed. Allwyn will be showing up with ideas that are native to the platforms, grounded in culture, and impossible to ignore,” Jouanneau added.
“VaynerMedia stood out for exactly that – their instinct for where culture is going and their ability to turn it into work that connects in real time. This partnership isn't just about doing social better. It's about building a brand that lives in culture, moves at the speed of it, and creates meaningful connections that spark emotion every day.”
The agency's remit is global and it is working closely with Allwyn’s marketing leadership to build a brand presence across Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube Shorts.
VaynerMedia’s international president, Marcus Krzastek, said: “Allwyn is a forward-thinking company that fundamentally understands the assignment: relevance is the gateway to business growth. You cannot build a modern, global brand without a social-first mindset that prioritises consumer attention and culture.”
Hearts & Science does media planning and buying for Allwyn. Allwyn's UK business set up an in-house creative content studio called Studio 59 in April, which the lottery business said did not affect agency partners.
