The $14.5 million Medibank account will stay within Dentsu Aegis, with Carat winning the account from stablemate Huckleberry, Medibank has confirmed.
Medibank confirmed to AdNews that "after a comprehensive pitch process and much careful consideration" the account had moved after seven years with Huckleberry.
"We are delighted to announce our new partnership with Carat, and look forward to working with them on both our Medibank and ahm brands. They offer a highly integrated offering, are a great cultural fit for Medibank and have a strong Melbourne-based presence,” Medibank general manager of marketing and brand Tamalin Morton said.
"I'd like to extend my thanks to our current incumbent, Huckleberry, for the highly productive relationship we have had over the last seven years.”
It is thought the final pitch came down to UM and Huckleberry, with Carat entering the process to keep the account within the Denstu Aegis stable.
Starcom, Mindshare, and PHD were also believed to have been involved in early discussions for the account.
Nielsen estimates Medibank had a media spend of $14.5m in the 12 months to Dec 2014, however sources say the likely media spend of the account would be higher given it spends a lot on digital advertising.
Carat’s scope of work includes Strategy, planning, investment, social and direct for Medibank and AHM brands.
“Medibank is a great Australian brand and we are very excited to be appointed to work with them,” Carat CEO Simon Ryan said.
“The team at Carat alongside specialist divisions Carat Direct and Carat Connect delivered an outstanding proposition to Medibank with a real focus on driving business growth through redefining the value of media”.
Dentsu Aegis Network CEO Luke Littlefield paid tribute to the efforts of Huckleberry.
“I congratulate Carat on this win, they provided an excellent response to the brief and I am confident they will be a great partner for Medibank.” Littlefield said.
“I would also like to commend Carat’s sister agency, Huckleberry, who pitched strongly as the incumbent. Whilst it is difficult to see one of our agencies miss out, we are really pleased to keep this great business within the wider Dentsu Aegis Network Group.”
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.