Sony Ericsson selects four agencies for global review

by Joanne Oatts, Brand Republic 11-Aug-06, 09:00

LONDON - Sony Ericsson Mobile has shortlisted DDB London, McCann Erickson, Publicis and Saatchi & Saatchi to pitch for the estimated £50m global advertising account.

This follows Sony Ericsson's split last month from Bartle Bogle Hegarty, which has held the account for five years.

The move was believed to be a reaction to Omnicom Group's hiring earlier in the year of branding agency Wolff Olins to conceive a new strategy for the brand.

Dee Dutta, corporate vice-president and head of marketing at Sony Ericsson, said: "We have chosen four world-class agencies who understand how to build brands. I look forward to the next several weeks of the pitch process and hope to have reached a decision by the end of September."

Consultancy Agency Assessments International is managing the process.

BBH's most recent work, which broke in July, featured the tennis stars Daniela Hantuchova and Ana Ivanovic in an ad for the K800i Cyber-shot camera phone, with the line: "Never miss a shot." The two play a dramatic rooftop tennis game.

The review will not affect other arrangements with media agency Mediaedge:cia and Dare, which handles the global digital account.

If you have an opinion on this or any other issue raised on Brand Republic, join the debate in the Forum.