Online travel agency Orbitz, a subsidiary of Expedia, has selected Havas Chicago for creative AOR duties after a formal review involving close to a dozen agencies. The agency’s remit includes digital, social and creative content responsibilities. A top priority is to drive consumer awareness of Orbitz’s loyalty program, Orbitz Rewards. The client brief also indicated that Orbitz wanted an AOR to help drive awareness of its brand promise and value proposition, challenge the status quo and bring a new perspective to the online travel space to drive growth and build brand preference with U.S. travelers.   The selection follows the …

McCann Worldgroup has been appointed Pizza Hut’s new creative agency for Latin America and the Caribbean. The selection came after a formal review among seven agencies.  McCann will develop integrated regional campaigns and will help deploy a new brand identity across the region, working with Pizza Hut Latin America Headquarters in Dallas.  The account win was the result of a joint effort by Mercado McCann, McCann Miami and Momentum Colombia. The new account will be supported by a multidisciplinary integrated team encompassing strategy, advertising, point of sale and digital activations, with Mercado McCann’s creative at its core.  “During the lengthy and …

Smart phone marketer Xiaomi India has selected Lowe Lintas for creative duties. The client, considered a challenger brand, launched in 2014. The agency will handle the business out of its Bangalore office.    

McDonald’s has selected Publicis Groupe, including Leo Burnett as lead creative agency, to handle its consolidated account in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region that includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. This is the first time the fast food giant has put its entire business portfolio in the region up for review, according to the agency. Publicis Groupe said it implemented its “Power of One” strategy in presentations during the pitch.  In addition to creative, the remit includes strategic planning, media, digital marketing and PR services. Talent from Starcom, Sapient.Razorfish, Prodigious, MSL and Arc …

Creative media agency Giant Spoon has been awarded media planning and buying duties for the San Diego Zoo, following a competitive pitch with a dozen agencies.  The Zoo, well known as a leader in the wildlife conservation movement, cited Giant Spoon’s non-traditional media planning process as a key point of differentiation, as well as its ability to collaborate with other agency partners. Also, the agency’s focus on folding cultural insight into media strategy was seen  a plus.  “We were looking for a partner who wouldn’t be solely focused on traditional media planning,” said Ted Molter, chief marketing officer at San …

Financial services firm Raymond James has awarded agency-of-record duties for its national advertising account to Minneapolis-based Solve following a competitive review, the companies have confirmed. The incumbent was Martin Williams, which did not participate in the review. Solve’s remit includes brand strategy, creative, media, research and digital deliverables. The St. Petersburg, FL-based Raymond James manages over $700 billion in financial assets, through 3,000 locations.  Client CMO Mike White stated, “After a thorough review, we were very impressed with Solve’s understanding of our brand, mission and culture. They demonstrated provocative creative thinking and a deep understanding of what makes us different …

Independent marketing and communications agency Republica has been selected as the global strategic agency for Azamara Club Cruises, an upmarket cruise line and subsidiary of Royal Caribbean Cruises. The selection came after a formal review.  As part of the assignment, Republica will lead various initiatives encompassing strategy, creative, media, digital, and social for the project launching Azamara’s new ship, the Azamara Pursuit. Republica will work with Azamara and its existing agencies to develop an integrated marketing and communications strategy to showcase brand and all that it has to offer. During the review, Republica developed a campaign focusing on global …

Rice's Honey has appointed Dallas-based Johnson & Sekin as its AOR following a formal review. The agency will handle everything including overseeing media buying. There was no incumbent—it’s the first time the brand has awarded an AOR assignment. Founded in 1924, the honey brand is seeking to raise its profile as a rising number of  consumers appear to be seeking local U.S. raw and unfiltered honey. Initial work from the agency will launch in early 2018 with an integrated campaign that will introduce a new label design and website as well as digital advertising and social media. The creative messaging …

Bike sharing platform ofo, has appointed Catch New York as its US agency of record, with additional global branding responsibilities.  In August, ofo launched in Seattle, its first North American city, followed by Washington, D.C., Boston area, Los Angeles, Miami and Dallas, 11 cities in total.  As the agency of record, Catch New York will create the integrated launch campaign for ofo's market-by-market rollout in America, which will include awareness creative, guerilla media, event support, and the ongoing development of the company’s website. The agency has  also been tasked with handling research and development for the coming global creative, which will …

American Pet Nutrition has selected The Mars Agency as its shopper marketing agency after a formal review. Mars is first tasked with offering strategic, retail and creative positioning support for the client’s Supreme Source branded dog and cat product lines. The Utah-based pet food company also markets products under the Vita-Bone and Beggar-Dog brands. “During the pitch process, The Mars Agency team demonstrated a higher level of strategic thinking and unique retailer insights and know-how than its competitors,” stated brand manager Matt Keller. “We needed a partner deeply rooted in the retail space, with credentialed specialists across channels. Their combined …