WPP’s Red Cell network has strengthened its presence in Australia with the announcement of the rebranding of Batey Kazoo.
Batey Kazoo—also part of WPP—is to be rebranded as Batey/Red Cell as part of WPP’s strategy to complete the global presence of Red Cell.
Batey’s Singapore-based group chief operating officer Robert Kay said Batey was “formalising” a five year relationship with Red Cell in Asia-Pacific. All Batey offices across the region will be rebranded under the new banner.
The move came as WPP denied rumours it was planning to merge Batey Kazoo with The Campaign Palace in Australia.
Red Cell was launched by WPP CEO Martin Sorrell as the network’s fourth and most creative. It now has 61 business units operating in 36 major markets worldwide. Red Cell agencies include the high profile Berlin Cameron/Red Cell (New York)—whose acclaimed founder Andy Berlin was earlier this year appointed by Sorrell to head up Red Cell—and HHCL/Red Cell in London.
Red Cell’s clients include Coca Cola, Diageo, Hewlett Packard, Guinness, Microsoft, Nestle, Purina Petcare, Nike, Nikon, Nokia, Pfizer, and Unilever.
Berlin said Asia—where it is predicted, two thirds of the global population will be living by 2015—was the critical third region of “our world and a key to our future”.
“The core combination of Berlin Cameron, HHCL and now Batey is a truly powerful global proposition,” he said.
Batey Kazoo’s managing director Andrew Metcalfe said the arrival of the Red Cell brand would not mean major changes to the existing structure of Batey Kazoo, but he said there would be some creative appointments in the coming months.
“One of the great things will be the ability to tap into the strategic tools and knowledge base globally,” Metcalfe said.
“And I think the inspiration of Andy Berlin and Berlin Cameron will have a big impact—the agency has done an unbelievable job. It’s an agency that bills $US700m with 70 to 80 staff, it is amazing.”
