Badjar Ogilvy is set to lose long-running partner McCain Foods as a pitch for the frozen food brand’s $8.3 million advertising account reaches a two-way shout out.
The STW-owned creative agency has worked on the McCain creative account for more than 25 years, but B&T understands it is no longer involved in the pitch process.
A two-way tussle for the brand, known for its “Ahh McCain, you’ve done it again” tagline, is understood to be between two Melbourne agencies, Whybin\TBWA and the AJF Partnership.
Both declined to comment, but B&T has had it confirmed from multiple industry sources.
McCain Foods’ marketing director, Mike O’Brien, has also not returned B&T’s requests for comment.
The review of McCain’s local agency partnerships comes amid a global repositioning for the food brand and after an international media pitch.
An overhaul is in store for McCain Foods’ 50-year-old positioning, according to Marketing Magazine UK, with BrandOpus behind the new identity which is set to be rolled out in the UK from January.
In late November McCain also wrapped up a media pitch which extended MediaCom’s media buying and planning responsibilities for the brand into six more European markets.
MediaCom already handled McCain’s media in Germany but now runs the account in Spain, Poland, Russia, Italy, France and Belgium.
Nielsen estimated that McCain Foods spent $8.3 million locally on main media between August 2011 and September this year, down from $10.7 million in the previous corresponding period.
