FCB wins £275m Samsung task
Samsung Electronics Corp, the mobile phone to electrical goods giant, has appointed FCB Worldwide to handle its estimated &£275m global advertising and media buying account.
The agency is believed to have won the business following a pitch against Conquest and MindShare in New York. It is not clear whether incumbent AG Worldwide re pitched. A spokesman for Samsung confirmed the appointment but would make no further comment.
FCB’s success means Banks Hoggins O’Shea/FCB will handle the creative business in the UK and MBS Media will manage the media buying. It is understood that part of the creative brief will be for a “global image” brand-building campaign across products including televisions, digital cameras and DVD and MP3 players. Samsung also makes vacuum cleaners, microwave ovens and air conditioning units.
Samsung, based in South Korea, is also the world’s fourth-largest manufacturer of mobile phone handsets, behind Nokia, Ericsson and Motorola. Samsung chose Internet service provider Freeserve as its partner for the launch of the UK’s first MP3 mobile phone earlier this year.
Banks Hoggins was appointed to handle Compaq’s UK business earlier this year (MW May 4), after FCB won the computer company’s &£188m global above-the-line account. There is unlikely to be a conflict between Compaq and Samsung, which produces only computer chips, monitors and hard drives rather than branded computers.
