Clemenger BBDO has promoted MD Andy Pontin as CEO of its Sydney office, following the agency's appointment to the $43 million Foxtel account.
Pontin's promotion to the newly created role was announced to staff yesterday on the back of a string of new business wins in 2010, including Hungry Jack's, Virgin Blue and Toshiba, as well as the Foxtel win this week.
Foxtel appointed Clemenger BBDO as its creative agency following a two-way shoot out which also involved M&C Saatchi.
A decision was expected before Christmas, but it was delayed until after the festive break, with the contract signed this week.
Industry sources told AdNews that M&C Saatchi delivered a strong pitch presentation, but a conflict arose with the agency's Optus account, amid the telco's decision to enter the IPTV space, a move that was officially confirmed before Christmas while the Foxtel pitch was still ongoing.
The account was put out to pitch in November 2010, after a mutual split between Foxtel and five-year incumbent Three Drunk Monkeys.
The split came a month after AdNews exclusively reported that Foxtel had appointed former head of The Reader's Digest Association Asia Pacific - Paul Heath - as chief marketing officer, replacing David Morgan, who left the company in June.
Heath said: "The subscription TV
business is an exciting place to be right now, and we're looking
forward to working with Clemenger to ensure that Foxtel continues to
lead in providing a best in class range of services firmly focused on
delighting and satisfying consumers."
Foxtel spent an estimated $42.8 million on main media in the 12 months to October 2010, down from $45.9 million in the prior period, according to Nielsen.
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