Coca-Cola completes Aussie agency revamp

The accounts were previously handled by VCD and Mojo Partners respectively.

VCD wasn't shedding too many tears, however, as the agency has picked up the Lift Plus brand and retained the Pump water business.

Singleton Ogilvy and Mather (SOM) is a new entry on Coca-Cola's agency list. SOM was handed the Sprite, Fanta and Lift brands, previously handled by McCann-Erickson (Fanta) and Mojo Partners (Sprite and Lift).

Globally, Ogilvy & Mather had announced it was taking over the work for Fanta and Sprite. The Fanta account has been split between several agencies including Soul in UK and Cliff Freeman & Partners in the US.

As part of a worldwide partnership, McCann-Erickson will retain the lucrative Coca-Cola brand, worth an estimated US$68 billion last year, as well as the Fruitopia brand.

Coca-Cola South Pacific corporate affairs manager, Fiona Hamann, said the realignment is an attempt to connect agencies globally and allow sharing of information.

Hamann stressed the shift had nothing to do with the quality of the work being produced by the incumbent agencies. "It is by no means attributable to the work of the agencies in 2001. All produced outstanding advertising for us, and we are very pleased with the work they created,

said Hamann.

The Coca-Cola Company is the world's largest beverage company. The beverage giant controls more than half the global soft drinks market, owning almost 240 beverages. Its global advertising spend is estimated to be almost US$2 billion.

The new agencies have already started working on their new brands, as the changes were effective from the beginning of the year.