Clemenger BBDO is out of the running in Samsung’s creative and media reviews, B&T can reveal. Publicis Groupe is tipped to win the media account and is Samsung’s media agency of record in most markets around the world.
Samsung called a review of its creative and media planing and buying requirements earlier this year. The pitches are running concurrently but separate, and are being led by Samsung’s global team.
Several sources have told B&T both pitch processes are ongoing, with the creative review down to four, including its global in-house creative agency Cheil, Leo, Ogilvy and M+C Saatchi.
Omnicom Oceania chief executive Nick Garrett confirmed that Clemenger BBDO is not one of the agencies that has progressed to the final round.
“Following the outcome of Samsung’s recent agency review, Clemenger BBDO will not continue as Samsung’s creative and media partner beyond the current arrangement,” he told B&T.
“Multiple people across our network have worked on this business over the past seven years with enormous care and love and we believe that is reflected in the work and impact we’ve been able to achieve together.
“Given BBDO has been an outlier in Samsung’s global media agency alignment, we’re proud to have maintained such a strong and enduring partnership here in Australia for as long as we have. We thank Samsung for the trust and collaboration over the years and wish the team every success moving forward.”
A Samsung spokesperson said: “Samsung Australia recognises the efforts of every participating agency in its recent roster review; and can confirm the process continues, with all involved agencies notified of the next stage. No further comment will be provided at this time.”
Publicis in the running
B&T understands that Publicis Groupe had been active in both reviews, leaving the door ajar for them to win the consolidated creative, media, digital and social account. Publicis Groupe works with Samsung in most markets across the world on the media side, and has previously worked with Leo in this market prior to Clemenger.
Samsung could also split media and creative, Clemenger’s arrangement is unusual in that Cheil handles most of its creative around the world. Samsung could bring its creative in-house to Cheil, which has a medium. sized agency over here, while consolidate its media to Publicis Groupe.
The Korean consumer electronics giant consolidated its creative, media, digital and social with Clemenger Group’s CHE Proximity (which was folded into Clemenger BBDO) in 2020. At the time, Samsung was looking to streamline the number of suppliers it had worked with in this market.
B&T understands that the local Samsung team have a strong working relationship with the agency.
Samsung’s decision to part ways with Clemenger BBDO comes in the wake of award-winning work by the agency.
Last year, Clemenger BBDO and Samsung stunned the industry by taking out the MFA Awards Grand Prix for its Clash of the Commuters campaign (see below).
Following that success, Clemenger BBDO chief media officer Stuart Bailey told B&T the Clems media team numbered around 50 people, and that combining the agency’s media muscle with Clems creative heritage was an enticing proposition for clients.
Sophie Gallagher, who had previously led the Samsung account, left the business in January to become group strategy director at M+C Saatchi.
Reporting by Arvind Hickman and Tom Fogden.
