Wella consolidates its $100m global account
Haircare giant Wella has awarded its global advertising business to Koblenz-based Select Communications. The account is understood to be worth $100m (&£68m).
Wella’s UK incumbent was Abbott Mead Vickers.BBDO. It is not clear whether the &£6.8m UK business will be transferred to Select. In markets where Select has no offices the campaign will be adapted by BBDO Worldwide’s offices or local agencies which have worked for Wella in the past.
The company announced it had decided to seek a global agency for its creative account last year, after it parted company with incumbent German agency Jung von Matt, which handled its business for two-and-a-half years.
Other agencies competing for the business include Hamburg-based D’Arcy, Springer & Jacoby, Frankfurt-based Michael Conrad & Leo Burnett and Bates Worldwide.
The incumbent agency’s contract ends this year in December, but Select will take over in April.
Select is also understood to be setting up a “Wella creative unit” team at its New York, Berlin and Hamburg offices.
Last month, Wella signed a multi-million pound deal with designer brand Nicky Clarke to market and distribute the brand globally. Wella, which does not have a presence in the UK designer haircare market, hopes to enter the market as a result of this deal (MW February 15).