Volkswagen puts $8m Aussie deal to review

SYDNEY: Volkswagen is putting its US$8 million advertising account up for pitch less than a year after it took over the Australian franchise and retained incumbent agency FNL Communications. In January this year, FNL was given a one-year contract, which is due to expire shortly, prompting the car manufacturer's hunt for a new advertising agency. Volkswagen's general manager Russel Turnham said the company was reluctant to make any drastic changes when it took over the franchise. But it fully intended to revise its advertising strategy once FNL's contract expired. "At the time of taking over, we decided it was a good time to take a fresh look at the advertising, but because everything else was changing, we didn't need the angst of changing agencies," he said. Despite Volkswagen's eagerness to make a fresh start and its planned account review, Turnham said this did not necessarily mean changing ad agencies. "The incumbent agency was, and still is, doing good work. When we gave them the one-year tenure, we said we'd revise it at the end of the year. The time is here. It's as simple as that." FNL will be pitching for the business against DDB, which handles Volkswagen in most regions, Brown Melhuish Fishlock and Batey Kazoo.

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