CIA has won one of the biggest media shoot-outs of the year,
involving virtually all of the major regional media agencies operating
in Asia-Pacific.
The agency has clinched the multi-million dollar Singapore Airlines
worldwide account, dealing a blow to incumbent Maximise, which had been
handling the business since Batey Ads became part of the WPP group in
April 1998.
There are no changes to the main creative agency, Batey, which has been
with SIA for the past 28 years.
The media account is estimated to be worth around the Sdollars 100
million mark (about USdollars 57 million), representing the biggest
Asian-based account win for CIA.
SIA called for a pitch in May, inviting more than five of the biggest
regional players to make presentations. The number was gradually
whittled down over successive months to three agencies: CIA, Maximise
and OMD.
CIA came out on top because its strategic and creative recommendations
were deemed stronger.
A source said that although the agency was not as big compared with some
of the other media agencies operating in the region, the appointment was
important because "we were chosen by Asia's most admired company
following an exhaustive review".
