JWT beats Lowe Lintas to $100m Sun Microsystems global account

WPP agency J Walter Thompson has won the $100m (&£69m) global account for technology giant Sun Microsystems.

JWT picked up the business after a two-way pitch against Lowe Lintas & Partners Worldwide in the US. The business will be run out of JWT’s New York office.

The agency will create TV, radio, press and outdoor advertising for the US market and will use it as a springboard to develop campaigns in other markets.

The agency has an historical relationship with Sun – it held the account between 1989 and 1991 and again from 1994 to 1997.

Sun called the review after the November 1999 merger which formed Lowe Lintas created a conflict – Lowe handled the Sun account and Ammirati Puris Lintas handled its rival Dell Computers.

San Francisco agency Tonic 360 will continue to handle Sun’s online and interactive advertising and the global media buying and planning account remains with Initiative Media.

Sun’s UK marketing director is Louise Proddow and marketing communications manager Fiona Gallagher oversees advertising, online and direct marketing.

Gallagher says: “Our service includes advising companies on which partners have the right hardware solutions for them.”

The account is worth $2.3m (&£1.6m) in the UK and a further $2.6m (&£1.8m) in Europe. In the UK, Sun recently advertised on Classic FM and satellite TV station Eurosport.