EXCLUSIVE: Online travel company Expedia has put its $6m Australian creative advertising account out to pitch, putting incumbent BMF on notice.
Expedia today told B&T it had briefed a handful of agencies around Australia for the business, with BMF also invited to re-pitch.
Louise Crompton, marketing director at Expedia told B&T: "After 3.5 years of working with BMF we have made the decision to pitch the local Expedia creative account.
"BMF have been a trusted partner and played a key role in establishing Expedia as one of the top online travel companies in Australia and NZ.
"Whilst we are exceptionally proud of the work we have generated with BMF we felt the time was right to reassess. We are pleased that BMF will participate in the upcoming pitch.”
The news comes a week following the departure of former Expedia marketing director, Joana Baros, to Hotel Club after her contract at Expedia expired. Baros had been covering for Crompton while she was on maternity leave.
BMF won the business in 2009 and this year launched a major gamification campaign in collaboration with We Are Social and Cre8 Marketing & Entertainment.
Called ‘Tag me if you can’, the August campaign saw TV personality Nathan Jolliffe travel to 15 secret destinations around the world leaving video clues for users to guess and tag his location for a chance to win a share of $150,000.
BMF also created a portfolio of TVCs and cinema spots for the brand starring local TV game-show host, Shura Taft (below).
The travel site spent an estimated $6.2m on main media in the year to October 2012, according to Nielsen.
Expedia is the world’s largest online travel agency and provides access to over 110,000 hotels, 180 airlines, hire car brands and thousands of attractions.
