Accenture's The Monkeys, Publicis Groupe's Saatchi & Saatchi and VML are the final shortlist for the creative pitch of big four bank Westpac, AdNews can reveal.
Independant Howatson+Co and incumbent DDB have been dropped out of the process, which was launched in September.
DDB Sydney had held the account since 2012. The agency earlier this month publicly announced its 13-year partnership was ending.
At the time, DDB's executive leadership team said it’s a bittersweet farewell with the work being some of the agency’s proudest moments.
In October, Publicis agency Leo Burnett won competitor bank ANZ after a competitive pitch which also involved The Monkeys, part of Accenture Song.
Last week, VML lost its biggest account, Australian Defence Force Recruiting (DFR), as the brand switched to TBWA.
Publicis has strong connections with Westpac. Publicis CEO Michael Rebelo is on the board of governors of the charity St. George Foundation.
And the Westpac, RAMS, St George Bank, Bank of Melbourne and Bank SA $70 million media portfolio is with Publicis.
Westpac moved its media account to Publicis from GroupM following a closed agency pitch in 2020.
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