MindShare, which pitched for the business this month in combination with Cheil, according to GroupM sources, also acted as the supporting media partner for Ogilvy during presentations. But it is believed a dispute over the working arrangements between the two agencies has contributed to the stand-off.
Incumbent creative agencies LG Ad and MediaCom declined to take part in the review. The brief covers five markets globally: Australia, Germany, France, Spain and Hungary.
Cheil Worldwide chief Michael Kim, one of the leads on the pitch, told Media: “In the pitch for Hankook tyres, Cheil attended independently. Cheil has not yet decided on a media partner for Hankook,” he said. “Before that, there are a few critical things that we need to discuss with the client, such as markets, consumers and strategies.”
GroupM chiefs declined to comment on the situation.
Hankook manufactures radial tyres for passenger cars, light and heavy trucks and buses, and its products are available in more than 170 markets globally. The company posted sales for Q2 this year of closee to US$934 million, a year-on-year increase of 11.4 per cent.
