Axa appoints Saatchi & Saatchi to 15m ad account
6pm Update: Axa has appointed Saatchi & Saatchi to its 15m UK advertising account. The news comes just a month after the French insurance giant scrapped a review of the business, standing down a shortlist of agencies.
Axa has appointed Saatchi & Saatchi to its £15m UK advertising account. The news comes just a month after the French insurance giant scrapped a review of the business, standing down a shortlist of agencies.
The development will see WFCA, the incumbent, removed from its caretaker role to make way for the Publicis Groupe-owned agency.
Axa has an existing relationship with the marketing services group after it appointed Publicis Conseil earlier this year to undertake a review of its global brand strategy (MW February 28). It also appointed Isabelle Castelain, a former marketer, to the role of group brand director, based in Paris.
Axa decided to scrap the UK review, which was handled by Creative Brief, over a month ago. Those on the shortlist were Euro RSCG, Vallance Carruthers Coleman Priest and TBWA/London.
The pitch was initially called in November last year. Prior to the review Grey Australia had worked on the account, with Tunbridge Wells-based WFCA adapting the work for the UK market.
At the time of confirming the breakdown of the review process, David Halston, UK head of advertising and sponsorship told Marketing Week the agencies “did not come up with any ideas that matched our expectations of the Axa brand” and that it needed more time to “review its options” (MW.co.uk, April 17). Axa was unavailable for comment.
