Coca-Cola cuts McCann’s brief
McCann-Erickson is being relegated to a media buying operation for the Coca-Cola brand in Europe.
As revealed in Marketing Week (December 16, 1994) McCann is to lose all creative input for Coca-Cola in Europe. Publicis has inherited the account and will take over on September 1.
McCann was responsible for post-production of global creative work, adapting it for local markets. It also handled some tactical campaigns in Europe. Under the new contract McCann will retain media buying. Creative work for the Lilt brand is unaffected.
“McCann was our local service agency for the greater Europe division of Coca-Cola. Now that has transferred to Publicis,” confirms a Coke spokeswoman. “Decisions are made on what is best for business and Publicis has a strong agency network.”
McCann had sole control of Coke’s creative accounts but its hold on the business was eroded when Coke gave the work on its main brand Coca-Cola to Creative Artists Agency at the end of 1992. Since then it has used a series of different, sometimes independent, agencies to handle its various brands and accounts including Lowe Howard-Spink and Bartle Bogle Hegarty.
l Coke is poised to buy a TV commercial sent on spec by independent producer Aaron Jones, according to US reports. Coke is said to be in talks with Jones, whose company is based in Seattle. The ad is expected to air worldwide as soon as next month.
