Discount supermarket chain Aldi has launched a media review placing incumbent Maxus on notice, AdNews can reveal.
The discount supermarket chain is exploring several options and in the process of drawing up a shortlist with four agencies in the running, AdNews understands.
In the past 12 months, Aldi had a media spend of $42 million, according the Nielsen, which has increased from about $15 million in the 2014 calendar year. It has run several quirky and award-winning campaigns in recent years, and has gained marketshare on rivals Coles and Woolworths.
The pitch has been carefully kept under wraps by the client but AdNews understands Maxus will defend against several agencies understood to include Zenith and PHD.
All media agencies AdNews contacted declined to comment or speculate on the list, but a process of elimination rules out several players conflicted out with clients that are either supermarkets, department stores or mobile phone companies.
Three agencies immediately scratched are OMD, which has Coles; Carat, which has Woolworths; and Starcom with Metcash (IGA).
Another group that may be conflicted out is IPG Mediabrands, which has Westfarmers brands, Optus and Virgin Mobile on its books.
Dentsu Aegis Network with a client as large as Woolworths is also unlikely to be involved.
Aldi, with 400 stores across Australia, has annual sales of about $6 billion, accounting for 10% of the Australian market. In recent years it has challenged the dominance of Coles and Woolworths by offering cut-priced products and daring consumers to give it a go.
Aldi’s share of voice between April 2015 and March 2016 is reported as 11.95%, behind Woolworths (50.82%) and Coles (24.27%).
Another notable campaign in recent times is Aldi’s ‘Like brands. Only Cheaper’, a showreel of those ads can be seen below.
*Update: The original article stated Aldi had spent $30 million on media in 2015. In the past 12 months, Aldi spent $42 million, according to Nielsen figures shared with AdNews after the initial article was published.
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