Beacon scores coup by winning DoCoMo-AOL job

<p>TOKYO: In what is seen as a rare coup, Beacon Communications KK has </p><p>been appointed the main creative agency of the DoCoMo-AOL account in </p><p>Japan. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The move, according to industry sources, leaves Dentsu out in the cold </p><p>as it is the media and creative agency of record of NTT DoCoMo - Japan's </p><p>largest mobile telecommunications operator, whose annual marketing </p><p>communications spend is about US$300 million. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Beacon is the agency in Japan made up of Leo Burnett, D'Arcy and </p><p>Dentsu. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>There was no pitch for the assignment, worth about US$6 million. </p><p>However, media planning and buying is being handled by Dentsu. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Beacon apparently picked up the business because its parent company </p><p>Bcom3 - consisting of Leo Burnett and D'Arcy - has formed a strong </p><p>relationship with AOL elsewhere in the world, particularly, Burnett in </p><p>Canada and Brazil. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Beacon's brief is to build a synergistic marketing and promotions </p><p>programme and to build the DoCoMo-AOL brand name. An integrated campaign </p><p>is expected to be rolled out before the end of the year. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Alejandro Lopez, Beacon joint managing director and chief creative </p><p>officer, described the appointment as a major milestone for the agency. </p><p><BR><BR> </p>