• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, February 28, 2020

Iconic apparel brand Lee (now part of Kontoor Brands) has selected WPP’s VMLY&R for global creative AOR duties. It’s the 130-year-old brand’s first global creative AOR appointment. There was no incumbent and the assignment was made without a formal review.

In the U.S. the brand spent nearly $15 million  on ads in 2018, according to Kantar, the last full year for which data is available.

The appointment comes at a time when sales are soft for the brand, which posted an 8% reported revenue drop in the third quarter and 5% in Q2. One analyst recently downgraded parent Kontoor’s stock amid concerns about the Coronavirus and expansion plans for Lee in China.

“As stewards of the iconic Lee brand, we have the opportunity and responsibility to innovate and modernize not just our products, but also how we engage and connect with consumers around the world,” stated Chris Waldeck, executive vice president and global brand president, Lee. “Together with the team at VMLY&R, we will energize creative excellence and develop relationships with our customers in new and exciting ways.”