BBH and Lowe slip as others push upward

<p>SINGAPORE: Eighteen of Singapore's top 20 agencies experienced strong </p><p>growth last year, including top ranked Dentsu Young & Rubicam, according </p><p>to gross income figures compiled by the Singapore 4As. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Only Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH) and Lowe Lintas & Partners (LL&P) claim </p><p>to be down over the period. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>BBH fell 10.6 per cent to Sdollars 4.95 million (about USdollars 3 </p><p>million); while LL&P's gross income nearly halved since the merger </p><p>between Ammirati Puris Lintas (APL) and Lowe & Partners/Monsoon, which </p><p>in 1999 recorded gross income of dollars 4.65 million and dollars 4.98 </p><p>million respectively. In 2000, LL&P had a gross income of dollars 4.86 </p><p>million. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Ian Creasey, president of LL&P Asia Pacific said: "The Lowe Group had a </p><p>big revenue increase in 1999 resulting from a number of one-off projects </p><p>from clients such as SingTel." </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>But last year LL&P lost Audi, a regional account handled out of </p><p>Singapore, to Bates; it resigned Microsoft to overcome a conflict with </p><p>Sun Microsystems and some clients became inactive such as jewellery </p><p>retailer Goldheart. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"We declined to re-pitch for Audi because we were in the midst of the </p><p>merger and didn't want to over promise and under deliver", he said. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The big winners were: Saatchi & Saatchi, TBWA, Leo Burnett, Euro RSCG, </p><p>Bates, DDB and Batey Ads. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Saatchi & Saatchi was up 35.2 per cent to dollars 20.37 million. The </p><p>agency attributed this growth to existing client Hewlett-Packard, the </p><p>agency's largest regional account. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>TBWA was up a massive 114 per cent to dollars 12.13 million due to new </p><p>business wins including Seagram, Air Emirates and Samsonite and a growth </p><p>in billings from the Development Bank of Singapore (DBS). </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>In 1999, DBS' ad account was evenly split between TBWA and Saatchi & </p><p>Saatchi but then the financial institution increased its ad spend - to </p><p>try and promote itself as a regional financial institution - and TBWA </p><p>increased its share of the account according to Johan Fourie, CEO of </p><p>TBWA. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Leo Burnett's gross income was up 98 per cent to dollars 13.56 million </p><p>due to growth in billings from existing clients. "When we restructured </p><p>after the recession in 1997 we decided that what was going to make us </p><p>successful was to focus on big brand clients," said Leo Burnett managing </p><p>director, John Borzi. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The agency handled last year's launch campaign for SingTel's youth brand </p><p>Pod, it won two major projects from Coca-Cola - launching Heaven & Earth </p><p>and Coca-Cola Light - and it increased its share of the Prudential </p><p>account. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>SINGAPORE AD AGENCIES GROSS INCOME </p><p> 2000 1999 (%) </p><p>Advertising agencies (Sdollars (Sdollars change </p><p> million) million) </p><p>Dentsu Young & Rubicam 25.38 21.26 +19.37 </p><p>Batey Ads 21.70 17.70 +22.59 </p><p>Saatchi & Saatchi 20.37 15.07 +35.17 </p><p>Ogilvy & Mather 19.93 17.06 +16.82 </p><p>DDB Singapore 16.71 12.14 +37.64 </p><p>Bates Singapore 15.65 10.33 +51.50 </p><p>Euro RSCG 15.25 10.13 +50.54 </p><p>Leo Burnett 13.56 6.86 +97.66 </p><p>TBWA Singapore 12.13 5.67 +113.9 </p><p>Publicis Eureka 10.64 7.71 +38.00 </p><p>Impiric 10.56 9.20 +14.78 </p><p>McCann-Erickson 10.07 7.65 +31.63 </p><p>M&C Saatchi 9.06 7.00 +29.43 </p><p>FCB Singapore 7.82 6.80 +15.00 </p><p>J. Walter Thompson 7.19 6.25 +15.04 </p><p>Nexus Asatsu 6.78 4.23 +60.28 </p><p>Bartle Bogle Hegarty 4.95 5.54 -10.65 </p><p>BBDO Singapore 4.92 4.13 +19.13 </p><p>Lowe Lintas & Partners 4.86 9.63* -49.53 </p><p>Dentsu Singapore 3.67 N/A N/A </p><p>* Gross income figures for Ammirati Puris Lintas and Lowe & </p><p>Partners/Monsoon combined. </p><p><BR><BR> </p>