EXCLUSIVE: The country’s largest shopping centre, Melbourne’s Chadstone complex, has quietly replaced its long-term advertising partner with Tongue Melbourne after a competitive pitch.
As Chadstone’s lead creative agency Tongue, which describes itself as an “ideas agency with a digital backbone”, will handle all creative duties, including seasonal conceptual and creative campaigns
The incumbent was not named but the last time the creative account appears to have changed hands was in 2005 when Dewey & Horton won the account bringing an end to the Style Counsel’s seven year relationship with Chadstone.
In 2007 Dewey Horton merged with Yabber to create Big Red.
“We are thrilled that Chadstone have appointed us and look forward to working on such an iconic Australian shopping destination,” Daniel King, director of Tongue Melbourne, said.
The appointment is effective immediately and will not affect the other agencies on the Chadstone roster which includes the Razor Group on media.
The Colonial First State and Gandel Group owned shopping centre is also the largest in the southern hemisphere with 530 stores.
The fashion destination topped the recent Shopping Centre News’ (SCN) Big Guns report as Australia’s only centre to generate sales over $1bn last year.
Westfield was hot on Chadstone’s heels with its Bondi Junction centre generating $972.8 million.
The change of guard points to a renewed focus on brand positioning for the Chadstone which has been given the green light for a $500m expansion.
The expansion will see the centre’s footprint jump from 50,000sq m to 221,000sq m, with a new entertainment zone and 180-room hotel on the cards.
The Tongue appointment also comes as retailers struggle to navigate the move from bricks-and-mortar to bricks-and-clicks.
Competitor Westfield has been active in the e-commerce space and has been focused on expanding its in-store digital screen network.
