Sydney power retailer AGL has appointed George Patterson Y&R Melbourne to handle its $4 million account.
The energy company will move its marketing department to Melbourne over the next three months and employed pitch consultants P3 to help them find a Melbourne-based agency.
GPY&R managing director Russel Howcroft took over the reins in November – the same time the AGL pitch began.
“The GPY&R machine has swung into action and demonstrated it has the resources and capability to win business as prestigious as AGL,” he said.
The win is an important one for the agency - staff and account losses late last year have left it feeling somewhat battered in the Melbourne marketplace.
Singleton Ogilvy & Mather Sydney was the incumbent, and their Melbourne office was involved in the pitch, along with two other agencies.
Parts of the AGL retail business will remain in Sydney but the whole marketing and sales departments will be shifted south in order to gain a toehold in Victoria’s highly competitive energy market.
