Joshua axed as Toyota hands brief to WWAV
Joshua, Grey’s below-the-line agency, has lost the UK direct marketing account for car manufacturer Toyota, which has handed the business to WWAV Rapp Collins.
The reason for the account switch are unclear, but one source says Toyota had been unhappy with the way the business has been handled for some time. Joshua will continue to handle the Toyota business across Europe through its office in Brussels.
WWAV recently lost the Renault below-the-line business to Publicis Dialog, in a consolidation with the French car manufacturer’s European operations. The move is thought to have cost WWAV &£1m in income.
The Toyota account, which sources say spends between &£4m and &£7m each year on direct marketing, is thought to involve the launch of several new models. This includes the Toyota Yaris account, one of the Japanese car company’s most important launches in recent years.
The &£70m above-the-line European account was won last year by Saatchi & Saatchi. The Yaris replaces Toyota’s existing small car the Starlet, which sells about 10,000 a year in the UK. The Yaris is expected to sell two or three times that number.
