Honda Australia has adopted a hybrid in-house and external agency model, appointing Howatson+Company to handle media and creative across its automobile, motorcycles and power equipment businesses.
The full-service indy will work in conjunction with Lution to create a new in-house agency that aims to “optimise efficiency and creativity.
As part of the move, incumbents including Zenith Media, Leo Burnett, Wavemaker and TRP will no longer work with Honda.
B&T understands that Leo Burnett, Zenith – both part of Publicis Groupe – as well as GroupM’s Wavemaker declined to defend their parts of the account.
Leo Burnett and Zenith handled creative and media for its automobile and motorcycles divisions, while Wavemaker and TRP led creative for its power equipment business.
The new agency structure follows the recent hire of Terri Golder as Honda Australia’s head of marketing.
“This is a really exciting time for Honda Australia and our marketing team,” said Belinda Cusworth, general manager customer experience.
“With our rich brand heritage, the establishment of an in-house agency, coupled with new external partners, positions us to drive greater effectiveness in our marketing efforts. We’re thrilled to welcome Terri Golder to lead our reshaped marketing function.”
Nick Thomas, partner and chief strategy officer at Lution added: “We’re proud to assist Honda in redesigning their operating model and building an In-House Agency from scratch. The IHA, launching within the next month will span across creative, production and media. Recruitment for the initial roles is underway.”
Chris Howatson, founder and CEO of Howatson+Company said: “Honda is one of the most valuable brands in the world. The opportunity to work with Belinda and Terri to continue this legacy is a dream for both myself and the entire agency. We’re honoured to become part of the Honda family.”
