Universal, the company's incumbent media agency in Australia for the last six years, held off MindShare, which has been eroding Universal's hold on the business globally. The decision to appoint Universal bucks a global trend, which has seen Unilever consistently appoint either MindShare or Universal's sister agency Initiative in markets up for review. Currently, Universal holds the Unilever business in the Middle East, with most of the Asia and global business split market-by-market between the two other agencies.
The announcement follows a lengthy five-month pitch for the business, which was called as a matter of course, according to Unilever media director Sophie Madden. "We worked with Universal for six years," she said. "It was time to look at whether there was a better agency moving forward, or whether it was the right agency. We feel comfortable that this decision will ensure Unilever drives excellence in media in the Australian market."
Universal McCann Australia's managing director Jeff Cressall said: "Successful communications planning is about marshalling the best skill sets and using them to create new avenues for consumer connections."
Unilever brands include Rexona, Axe, Dove, Lipton Tea and Comfort, among others.