Mitsubishi Motors North America on Wednesday named WPP's Schematic as its new digital agency-of-record. As part of broader shift for the carmaker, Mitsubishi also named 180LA for creative
chores in North America. The Omnicom Group-owned agency is succeeding independent agency Traffic, which reportedly did not participate in the review.
"MMNA has created a non-traditional
partner agency structure where the client takes the strategic lead and unifies these three organizations to work in concert with event and media planning groups eschewing the more common single firm
agency-of-record format," the carmaker said Wednesday.
Going forward, Mitsubishi is planning "new and engaging consumer outreach plans throughout the summer and onward."
Shinichi Kurihara, President and CEO of Mitsubishi Motors North America, said on Wednesday.
Specifically, Schematic will be expected to lead development efforts for the Mitsubishi website, as
well as manage the company's social networking programs, display and search advertising, digital content creation and other interactive initiatives.
Guiding the new agency partners,
including Schematic, will be newly appointed Vice President of Marketing and Product Strategy for MMNA, Gregory Adams. Earlier in the decade, Adams worked within the Mitsubishi Motors Corporation
product planning department in Japan, as well as time spent with Ford, Nissan, and DaimlerChrysler in the Asia Pacific region. More recently, he was involved in helping establish Ferrari's
presence in Japan.
Trivalle Communications, meanwhile, has been named Mitsubishi North America's new public relations agency-of-record.
PHD will continue in its role as media
agency-of-record responsible for planning and buying MMNA's advertising media. Other Schematic clients include Google, Microsoft, Dell, Sony, Target, Nokia, Comcast and NBC.