Asda marketing boss Andy Murray has dropped his old company Saatchi & Saatchi from the supermarket’s advertising account, after it failed to reignite its advertising spark.
Murray today announced a new tie-up with Publicis-owned AMV BBDO, which he said would provide “big creative ideas” to bring to life Asda’s plan to re-engage with its customers.
The change in advertising partner, which comes after new Asda boss Roger Burnley took the helm in January, will see AMV BBDO spearhead creative development for Asda and George, and sit at the heart of what Murray described as a new agency ‘ecosystem’ model.
They will lead an integrated team that includes fashion agency Wednesday, Redwood, Proximity and EG+.
Murray appointed Saatchi and Saatchi, where he was previously an executive in its shopper marketing division, in 2016. But although the retailer recorded a return to growth with a 0.5% increase in sales in February, sources say the company has failed to capture the imagination of shoppers in its fierce battle with a resurgent Tesco and the discounters.
Murray, who announced a review five months ago, said he wanted to “drive growth in new ways of working, where big creative ideas come to life in ways that match how we want to engage with customers across channels - both physically and digitally.”
He added: “We are delighted to appoint AMV BBDO. Their brilliant team and inspiring work has given us real confidence that they understand Asda and how to connect with our value-seeking busy customers.
“We are all excited about working together and the work we will produce over the next stage of our growth. I also want to thank Saatchi & Saatchi for their partnership and creativity over the past two years.”
AMV BBDO’s other clients include Guinness, Mars and BT.
The agency’s CEO, Cilla Snowball, said: “We’re excited to be partnering with such an iconic brand. This is an important moment for the agency and our integrated team. We’re raring to go and can’t wait to get behind Asda’s plans for growth.”
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