Westpac has officially ended its contract with BMF just one year after the appointment.
BMF sent a statement to B&T, claiming it stepped away from the account around six weeks after the conclusion of its retainer, citing a strategic decision to refocus its business amid a strong pipeline of new work.
However, Westpac have confirmed they were the ones to end the relationship.
“As part of a regular review of our agency roster and ways of working, Westpac has decided to end our partnership with BMF,” the bank said in a statement.
“This decision reflects our future agency operating model and evolving requirements, which have changed and now encompass digital, marketing and communications capabilities.
“We thank BMF for their partnership over the past year. They’ve delivered significant pieces of work, including launching our new ‘It takes a little Westpac’ brand platform and helping deliver our recent ‘Double You’ brand campaign, both of which have played an important role in the evolution of our brand.
“We wish them all the best for the future.”
Westpac confirmed it will be engaging with existing partners on any future work.
Meanwhile, a statement from BMF read: “We’re proud of what we’ve achieved with Westpac, including the launch of its new brand platform ‘It Takes a Little Westpac’, and are grateful for the opportunity and partnership.”
“Recently, and in response to Westpac moving to a project-based model, we have been re-focusing our talent and business where we can deliver the greatest impact… Given new client wins and a strong pipeline, we’ve now made the decision to move on.
“We wish the Westpac team every success moving forward.”
The split brings a relatively short-lived partnership to a close, with BMF having been appointed during a period of significant transformation within Westpac’s marketing function.
Shortly after winning the account, the agency launched the brand platform ‘It Takes a Little Westpac’, positioning it as the foundation for the bank’s future direction.
The appointment coincided with the departure of former chief marketing officer Annabel Fribence, as well as a restructure of the bank’s in-house media team that resulted in around 30 redundancies.
Late last year, Westpac appointed Michelle Klein to the newly created role of chief growth and marketing officer. Klein had previously worked with Droga5 ANZ during her time at IAG.
More recently, BMF and Westpac launched ‘Double You’, their first campaign under Klein’s leadership, developed in collaboration with The Tuesday Club.
Klein appeared on B&T’s 2026 CMO Power List.
