AXA UK hires branding team after restructure

AXA UK is recruiting a brand marketing team, following a restructure of its group branding operations.

The financial services provider, which includes AXA Insurance, AXA Sun Life and AXA PPP Healthcare, wants to bring its three businesses under a single AXA brand umbrella. The team will consist of two senior brand managers, a brand manager and an assistant brand manager. They will report to head of brand Darrin Nightingale, who was appointed in May (MW May 9).

AXA’s previous branding activity was largely focused on sponsorship, in particular its four-year &£25m sponsorship of the FA Cup. This relationship officially came to an end in July, after a dispute arose between AXA and the Football Association about the way it organised sponsorships for its new FA Partners scheme. AXA dropped out of the programme and Nationwide was appointed as the financial services sponsor in March.

The sponsorship team originally in place has subsequently left the company. The new brand team will be responsible for brand strategy, e-business activity, advertising, brand identity and sponsorship.

Last month, AXA unveiled its first television advertising campaign to promote its single brand. TBWA/London created the campaign, with media buying by OMD UK. TBWA/London was reappointed as AXA’s creative agency in May (MW May 16), following a review led by group marketing director John Bines, who joined AXA in December last year (MW December 13, 2001).

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