Nitro, which handles the business in China, is another major casualty of the review. However, McCann handles the lion’s share of the account in South and Southeast Asia.
Although there is no clear indication of billings split for the two agencies in Asia, Lowe is believed to be the main beneficiary. The IPG agency will take on creative duties for ‘impulse’ brands bought from street vendors and local stores, such as Cornetto, Magnum and Solero. Lowe’s sister brand in Spain, Lolo, will lead the business, but local offices will contribute on local creative and strategy. Omnicom’s DDB has been awarded ‘take-home’ brands, including Viennetta, Carte D’Or and low-fat range Breyers. The account will be run out of the US.
Although there is no clear indication of billings split for the two agencies in Asia, Lowe is believed to be the main beneficiary. The IPG agency will take on creative duties for ‘impulse’ brands bought from street vendors and local stores, such as Cornetto, Magnum and Solero. Lowe’s sister brand in Spain, Lolo, will lead the business, but local offices will contribute on local creative and strategy. Omnicom’s DDB has been awarded ‘take-home’ brands, including Viennetta, Carte D’Or and low-fat range Breyers. The account will be run out of the US.
The split will provide a timely boost for the two agencies, which have struggled in recent years to build a cohesive regional presence. In particular, Lowe’s China operation will see a major boost from the win. Unilever’s head of media relations, Trevor Gorin, clarified: “The ice cream accounts in Asia will not be handled by different agencies in different countries - the division is not according to geographical region. Lowe will handle Magnum and some of the other brands. DDB will look after the rest; these are pan-Asian accounts.”
McCann and Nitro will relinquish the business after a three-month handover period. Unilever ice-cream VP Asia and Africa JV Raman is still believed to be in discussions at Unilever headquarters in London over the Asia implications of the review.
The shift ends a four-month review between the three roster agencies, and marks an end to an unlucky streak for DDB, which has missed out on a string of global pitches including LG and Sony Ericsson.
Additional reporting by Ella Fitzsimmons