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