Asda signs up AMV BBDO to lead new agency ‘ecosystem’ model

The appointment comes five months after Asda’s chief customer officer announced a review of the supermarket’s agency relationships as it looks to better connect with its “value-seeking customers”.

asda

Asda has appointed AMV BBDO as its new lead agency partner to spearhead the creative development for Asda and George, starting with immediate effect. AMV BBDO replaces Saatchi & Saatchi, which has controlled Asda’s ad business for the last two years.

AMV BBDO – which ran Sainsbury’s creative account for 35 years until August 2016 – will sit at the centre of Asda’s new agency ‘ecosystem’ model. Quite what that means is a little unclear, but Asda says AMV will lead an integrated team that includes fashion agency Wednesday, Redwood, Proximity and EG. It will also provide agency integration across campaigns and work with a number of specialist partners.

The appointment comes five months after Asda’s chief customer officer Andy Murray, who joined the business from Saatchi & Saatchi in February 2016, announced a review of the supermarket’s agency relationships.

Murray said at the time that he wanted to “drive growth in new ways of working, where big creative ideas come to life in ways that match how we want to engage with customers across channels – both physically and digitally.”

On the current news, Murray says: “We are delighted to appoint AMV BBDO, their brilliant team and inspiring work has given us real confidence that they understand Asda and how to connect with our value-seeking busy customers.

“We are all excited about working together and the work we will produce over the next stage of our growth. I also want to thank Saatchi & Saatchi for their partnership and creativity over the past two years.”

Asda posted a decline in profit in the run-up to Christmas, which it attributed to “on-going price investments”. However, the supermarket managed to boost sales in the final quarter of 2017, with like-for-like sales up 0.5%, alongside bringing in 348,000 new customers in December.

It also claimed it was the only one of the big four supermarkets – Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Tesco – to maintain its market share in the period.

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