Publicis Groupe has won the global business for Mercedes-Benz’s creative and digital transformation following a six-month review.
It’s understood the deal includes the German car marque’s work in Australia with Saatchi & Saatchi to handle the creative.
However, the deal doesn’t include the US, German or Chinses markets which are which are currently handled by Merkley & Partners, Antoni and BBDO.
Publicis will reportedly create a new agency – headquartered in Berlin – just for the business and will be called Publicis Emil after Mercedes’ founder, Emil Jellinek. The agency will be run by Justin Billingsley, chief operating officer of Publicis Communications.
Commenting on the business win, Publicis’ CEO Arthur Sadoun said in a statement: “This was without a doubt the biggest pitch in the industry over the past 18 months, and one of the most significant wins the Groupe in many years.
“But more importantly, it is the living proof that the new model we’re putting in place, to become the market leaders in marketing and business transformation, is working.
On Emil Jellinek, Sadoun added: “It was Emil who placed a large order for a new car with Daimler with one condition: that they be named after his daughter, Mercedes. It is in this same spirit of progress that we have adopted his name for our new agency.”
