HONG KONG: One2Free, one of the biggest telecoms players in Hong Kong,
has dropped Freeway Communications as its agency just months after
appointing it in place of J. Walter Thompson.
One2Free has since appointed Euro RSCG to work on a major project
following a pitch in which both Euro and Freeway had been asked to
demonstrate their creative and through-the-line capabilities.
However, the move to a pitch so soon after Freeway was appointed on a
project basis has surprised the industry. A source at One2Free said: "We
have resigned our assignment with them (Freeway). Following the pitch
exercise, we chose Euro because they answered our brief better and
faster, which is important since competition is so intense and timing is
critical."
Freeway only produced a poster campaign for the brand just before the
account was put up for pitch. Its managing director Desmond So said the
loss was "a case of things not working as expected". But So stressed
that the "relationship was fine and the parting of ways was
amicable".
So also said talk of an exodus of creative staff just prior to the
account loss was nothing more than rumours. "All the senior creatives
who helped in winning the account many months ago are still working
here," he said.
