Chery Motor kicks off Australian media pitch
Chery Australia's recent campaign for its Tiggo 7 Super Hybrid
Chery Motor is set to put its Australian media planning and buying account up for pitch, ahead of the expiry of its current contract with UM.
The Chinese carmaker is in the early stages of the review, two years after appointing UM following a highly contested pitch.
Chery is the latest Chinese manufacturer to put its account up for review in Australia, forming part of a wider trend within its home market toward shorter procurement cycles.
In a statement to Mumbrella, a Chery spokesperson confirmed the contract expires at the end of 2026, saying the brand is in the early stages of planning.
“UM is a valued partner, and we need to ensure we have the best agency partners as we grow the business in the Australian market. It is too early to advise which agencies will be involved, but we would welcome the inclusion of UM in this process,” the spokesperson said.
Chery is one of several Chinese automotive brands aggressively targeting growth in Australia, particularly capitalising on rising demand for electric vehicles and expanding its local dealer network.
The pitch follows the recent wrap-up of fellow Chinese automaker Geely’s media review, which saw it switch from Havas Media to an integrated media and creative deal with Bastion at the end of last year.
Earlier this year, BYD, now the world’s largest electric vehicle seller, put its media account up for pitch just a year after appointing independent agency Yango to oversee the brief in Australia.
Chery itself has been active in agency appointments in recent years. In June last year, it completed a series of pitches, appointing Dentsu Creative as its creative agency of record, while Zeno Group was brought on as its PR partner.
Earlier, in October 2024, M&C Saatchi was appointed to a full strategic and creative remit, tasked with creating a bespoke team across creative, PR, influencer and social to boost the brand in Australia.
UM declined to comment.
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That’s a ridiculously short period of time for an agency to prove its worth