Business on the Move: Hyundai, Uber, Skyscanner, and more

ITV and RTL Group have extended their international ad sales partnership. According to the agreement, RTL AdConnect will represent ITV on a global level outside the UK and foster closer collaboration in advertising technology. In addition, Kelly Williams, Managing Director, Commercial at ITV, has joined the Board of RTL AdConnect.

International aid charity World Vision has selected VCCP as its lead creative agency, following a competitive four-way pitch. The fully-integrated agency will be working on creating a strategic brand narrative for the charity, as well as on specific campaigns across the year.

Americas wins

SoundCloud has selected Pandora as its exclusive US ad sales partner. The open audio platform has partnered with Pandora - the largest music streaming service in the US - to enable advertisers and brands to purchase SoundCloud inventory directly through Pandora. The new agreement expands SoundCloud’s existing global relationship with AdsWizz and is part of Pandora’s broader strategy to help publishers monetize digital audio.

EMEA wins

Opel, the Vauxhall-owned car brand, has named McCann as its European creative agency, effective from the beginning of 2019. The appointment will see McCann work on the promotion of the brand during the 120th anniversary of production.

Hyundai has selected Pitch Marketing Group to run its pan-European club football sponsorship programme. It will manage partnerships with Chelsea FC, AS Roma, Atlético Madrid and Hertha BSC, as well as extending its existing relationship with Olympique Lyonnais, and handle the pan-European ‘For the Fans’ campaign.

News UK has appointed digital consultancy Red Badger to improve the Sun Savers app following a competitive pitch. The agency has been tasked with redesigning and enhancing the app, which is directed at readers of The Sun.

Virgin Active has appointed strategic digital agency Equator as its ongoing partner to transform its UK online offering. Equator was chosen after a competitive pitch against four other agencies.

The Crown Estate has appointed TCS Media to its central London media buying brief. The real estate business has appointed the planning and buying company to support its existing agency roster, after a competitive pitch.

Endurance athletics brand Tough Mudder has appointed PrettyGreen as its UK PR agency. The agency will report to Nikki Emmans, vice-president of marketing at Tough Mudder.

Limelight Sports has announced that it is taking over the running of three major participation events - the London Triathlon, Blenheim Palace Triathlon and Etape Caledonia cycling event - from 2019. The active world specialist agency already handles a roster of agency clients including Nike and the Football Association.

Apac wins

GPJ Australia has announced its appointment as the experiential agency-of-record for Synergy. The partnership involves GPJ delivering experiential, creative, strategy, activation and production services to Synergy.

Carl’s Jr has appointed Dig&Fish as its lead creative agency in Australia. The restaurant said the agency was chosen because it aligned with its ambition, strategic thinking and ability to be innovative.

Text100 has been appointed by Skyscanner. The partnership will see Text100 work to build a compelling brand narrative through creative amplified across earned and owned channels, including an influencer engagement ambassador programme.

Starcom China has retained the media business of BMW Group in China. Starcom's assignment includes online and offline media planning and buying, as well as content and performance.

The Condé Nast Center of Fashion & Design Shanghai has appointed Reuter Communications as its retained agency in China. The luxury intelligence, communications and marketing agency will oversee strategic and digital communications in China to develop and raise awareness as the Center evolves its strategic offering and positioning.

The Hoffman Agency has been appointed as the agency-of-record for Geneco, a retail brand of YTL PowerSeraya. The agency is appointed on a year-long retainer and will be responsible for managing the energy retailer’s public relations duties in Singapore including media outreach and relations, messaging and reputation management, among others.

Reviews

Ride-hailing app Uber is looking for an agency to develop its driver recruitment campaign in London. No shortlist has yet been formed for what is set to be a project-based appointment with Uber believed to have tasked Creativebrief with curating a list of potential marketing suppliers to handle the brief.

Launches

ID Comms, a UK-based media and advertising consultancy, is set to open a dedicated New York office serving US-based chief marketing officers, media directors and procurement executives.

Former Nike executive creative directors Keith Crawford and David Odusanya have launched CO-Lab, a Portland, Oregon-based creative agency focused on design strategy for companies. Crawford and Odusanya previously worked for Nike for a combined 37 years.

Cynthia Heyd, founder of Heyd & Seek, and Kevin Saffer, founder of Touchpoint Films, have joined forces to form HeydSaffer, a production-centric shop designed to help advertising agencies, PR companies, and brands creatively and strategically produce content. The new agency will be based in Toronto.

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