Fallon wins £70m Sony pan-European ad task

Fallon has been appointed to handle Sony’s £70m pan-European advertising business for the entertainment giant’s consumer electronic business.

The agency pitched against incumbent Saatchi & Saatchi, Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH), Abbott Mead Vickers.BBDO, Rapley Smith & Jones and Weiden & Kennedy.

The business does not include advertising for Sony’s PlayStation games consoles, which continues to be handled by TBWA globally, or mobile handset joint venture Sony Ericsson, which is handled by BBH.

As well as creating advertising, Fallon will also handle planning for Sony across all media including television, online and outdoor in 20 European countries.

The first campaign from Fallon will launch in April, but it is not known which product it will focus on. Fallon in London will have lead creative status for the brand.

Saatchi picked up the business in 1999 and developed the “Go Create” campaign for the company.

This latest move follows the regional consolidation of Sony’s media buying business. Last month it awarded OMD its £200m pan-European business for consumer and music business after a three-way pitch against Zenith Media and MindShare (MW October 10).

It completed a review at the beginning of the year of its media planning and buying in North America for Sony Music, Sony Pictures and Sony Canada. Universal McCann won the £386m account.