A Coca-Cola spokesperson confirmed the news: “As a matter of company policy we do not usually comment on our agency relationships, but we can confirm that we have recently appointed Starlink - a subsidiary of Starcom Philippines, as media agency-of-record for the Philippines.”
The move sees incumbent Universal McCann replaced as media agency-of record following a pitch with WPP's MediaCom and Aegis Media's Vizeum MediaForce.
Creative duties were unaffected. Leo Burnett and McCann Erickson both work on the business, and combined to produce a launch campaign for Coke Zero last month.
Coke's reversal of fortune in the Philippines has been attributed to an improvement of its relations with retailers and a deal with San Miguel Corporation to take full ownership of its troubled bottling operation, Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines.
Coca-Cola sales in the Philippines last year rose for the first time since 2004, by five per cent.