Dentsu Mitchell drops ‘Mitchell’ legacy, rebrands to dentsu X
Media agency Dentsu Mitchell has rebranded to dentsu X, dropping the Mitchell name which has been an icon of the Australian media industry for more than 40 years.
The move follows a global network rebrand from Dentsu Media to dentsu X announced in June.
Mitchell & Partners was rebranded to Dentsu Mitchell in 2015
Formerly known as Mitchell & Partners, the agency was founded in 1976 by the current executive chairman of Free TV, Harold Mitchell, who retired from the firm in June of 2013.
Mitchell retired from the agency in 2013.
Following Mitchell’s retirement, the parent company reshuffled the agency’s client relationships and renamed the company Mitchells.
The agency focused on Australian brands while international clients were moved to Carat – one of Dentsu Aegis Network’s other agencies.
Nearly two years after the takeover of parent company Aegis by Dentsu, the agency was rebranded to Dentsu Mitchell.
At the time, Dentsu Mitchell’s managing director Adrian Roeling – who was recently appointed Amplifi president – said the company did not, at that stage, have plans to drop Mitchell’s name.
“Mitchells is really important part of our brand. Our name in the market is Dentsu Mitchell not Dentsu Media and that’s really important for a number of reasons,” Roeling told Mumbrella at the time.
“It is to tip our hat to Harold, to our history in the market – we have great partnerships within the market – it’s also to talk to our understanding in the market and our focus on Australian clients.”
He noted the rebrand would help Australian clients who were looking to expand in the region.
This seems not only disrespectful to the man who built this brand from nothing, but also a poor business decision. There may be some positives for global clients, maybe? But to dispense with the recognition of the original firm’s founder will do nothing to assure long time national clients. In my opinion, an unnecessary move – and a silly one.
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Ooooh, that’s harsh. Crossed out?
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A super cynical industry watcher might suggest such timing of a name change would suit any Fed Govt tender underway. Especially if / where the incumbent needs to demonstrate to a panel, in a really obvious way, that they have evolved…
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Perhaps even sillier than rebranding ALL NSW’s departments & quangos with the waratah logo. I will never forget Harold and Mitchells: buying 250,000 emitch shares @ 9cents and holding most of them through the various Mitchell/Aegis/Dentsu buy-outs is responsible for creation of about a quarter of my Super. Only wished I’d bought another 250,000 when they dropped to c2cents!
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Always a risk to change a recognised name. In this case revered as well. Far too valuable to lose the Mitchell reputation.
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Disrespectful? Dentsu bought Mitchell’s in 2013. They can do whatever they like with it. You sell, you say goodbye.
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The company was originally called Merchant, Pettet and Mitchell when founded in 1976.It later changed it’s name to Mitchell and Partners following Merchant and Pettet’s name change to Merchant and Partners in late 1979 or early 1980, founded in 1974 by Dennis Merchant and John Pettet.
Not that any of this matters, but sometimes it’s good to keep the chronological facts straight.
Alan Robertson
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in reply to Pascoe; Hammer. Nail. Head
There’s more hot air in this “move” and announcement than in a hot air balloon factory…
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I will miss the Mitchell name being in market.
All of the great agencies are those that have a powerful identity behind them.
I tip my hat to an incredible master who took on the globals and won. Thank you Harold Mitchell on navigating the path so that independent agencies can be considered and thrive in the media landscape.
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New name, same horrendous service.
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Forget about Harold for a minute….who on earth came up with the name Dentsu X??! Almost as bad as Wavemaker. Which is almost as bad as Blue 448. Whats up with media agencies and awful brand names?!?!
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Luke are you 12? Or related to Harold?
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Its been a day. Maybe give them more than 24 hours before jumping to disrespectful conclusions
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