SINGAPORE: F&N Coca-Cola has appointed M&C Saatchi to create the
next Coca Cola brand campaign for Singapore but downplayed the
announcement because the account is internationally aligned to
McCann-Erickson.
Rather than move the account from McCanns, the beverage company opted to
put the major project out to pitch.
June Kong, external affairs & communications manager at F&N Coca Cola,
said: "The M&C Saatchi special project assignment on brand Coca Cola in
no way impacts on the fact McCann-Erickson Singapore is Coca Cola's
agency of record".
M&C Saatchi, which handles most of the firm's non-aligned brands,
pitched against McCann, Lowe Lintas & Partners and Saatchi &
Saatchi.
The decision follows news reports that McCanns' 'Life tastes good'
campaign failed to meet the beverage company's expectations. M&C's win
also comes in the wake of Coca-Cola adding new agencies to its roster at
the expense of McCanns. For instance, it recently appointed Ogilvy &
Mather across 11 Asian markets for Sprite and Fanta.
"This widens our creative resource base ... we will continue to use all
the resources available to us to market our brands in Singapore," said
Kong.
