The Omnicom agency triumphed after a four-round contest, managed by R3, that began in January, when Saatchi & Saatchi, Leo Burnett, BatesAsia, Publicis, TBWA, DDB and Y&R were invited to pitch, as well as incumbent Batey, which loses control of the brand it helped create 35 years ago.
A final round saw a TBWA shoot-out with Publicis. It was a closely fought contest but, say sources, TBWA clinched it thanks to a stronger digital offering, better chemistry with the client and a more cohesive understanding of the brand.
TBWA’s sister agency Tequila handles SIA’s loyalty business KrisFlyer — won in 2004 —which is also thought to have given TBWA an advantage. The agencies are closely integrated — its creative teams sit on the same floor — but the two accounts are expected to be handled separately.
TBWA had yet to be briefed at presstime, so the terms of the contract were unclear. But Batey is expected to hand over over the business next month. Philip Brett, chairman, TBWA\Tequila Singapore declined to comment on whether the agency trumpeted its ‘Disruption’ mantra, but said: “We played to our strengths. It was the perfect model of how a network should work: we brought in creative firepower from our key hubs — people were on a plane within minutes. “This win means a huge amount. It’s almost 10 years to the day since we launched (in Singapore), and five years since we brought Tequila and TBWA closer together.”
SIA’s EVP, marketing, Huang Cheng Eng, said in a statement that the Singapore Girl would remain an “iconic personification” of the brand.
The appointment does not affect the airline’s media duties, handled by MEC, although a review, sources say, is expected by March 2008.
