Sony Europe hands £50m ad account to Anomaly

Sony Europe has handed its £50 million advertising account to Anomaly, after a final two-way pitch against incumbent agency Fallon.

The agency has been appointed as Sony Electronics’ key strategic and creative partner, sharing the account between its UK and US offices. 

Ben Moore, Sony Europe’s vice-president of communications, made the appointment. The AAR handled the pitch process.

Sony Europe’s vice-president of marketing communications Ben Moore said at the time of the pitch being called that he wanted an agency that could accommodate the fragmentation of traditional media and the rising importance of the Internet and social media in driving consumer behaviour.

“Our communications strategy has naturally evolved to embrace and exploit these new media channels, but it is clear that in the future we will need an increasingly sophisticated and media-neutral brand strategy that allows us to exploit both existing and evolving media channels,” he said.

Fallon had handled the account since 2002, when it secured the business after a pitch against Bartle Bogle Hegarty. Some of the agency’s most recent work included the Its “balls” campaign featuring Brazilian footballer Kaka, which broke in November 2005.

The loss is Fallon’s second in recent months. Asda has also parted company with the agency, shifting its £75 million business into sister agency Saatchi & Saatchi in November.

Sony recently unveiled its first UK campaign featuring the company’s umbrella tagline make.believe.