PHD Melbourne bows out as Asahi opens media pitch
The Asahi account includes Carlton & United Breweries, Schweppes, Solo, Cottees, and Peroni among other big names (Mumbrella)
Asahi Beverages has opened its multi-million-dollar Australian media account to pitch, with long-time incumbent PHD Melbourne stepping aside after nearly a decade.
PHD Melbourne, which won the media account of what was then Carlton & United Breweries in 2017, has been sidelined from the recently launched pitch in favour of one of Omnicom’s newly acquired IPG Mediabrands agencies, Mumbrella understands.
According to sources, the most likely candidate to take on the mega-pitch is UM, which last year lost its decade-old account with Asahi rival Lion Beverages to EssenceMediacom.
An Omnicom spokesperson said they were bound by a non-disclosure agreement and offered the following statement: “Asahi remains a valued client of Omnicom Media.
“As is standard practice, we don’t comment on any processes that may be underway. We remain fully committed to supporting Asahi’s business and ongoing growth, now and into the future.”
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The pitch comes amid broader changes at PHD Melbourne, which said goodbye to its long-serving leader Simon Lawson last Friday.
Lawson helped launch the office in 2012, leading flagship client ANZ and later winning the CUB account from WPP’s Mediacom in 2017.
The owner of Victoria Bitter and Carlton Draught was acquired by Asahi Beverages in June 2020, when Japan’s Asahi Group completed its A$16 billion purchase of CUB from Anheuser‑Busch InBev.
The agency—and the wider Omnicom network—is currently navigating the rapid consolidation of IPG Mediabrands following its A$20 billion acquisition that closed in November.
Since then, a number of key IPG leaders have exited the new entity, including long-serving figures Mark Coad and Leigh Terry, and last Friday, UM CEO Anathea Ruys, whose role will now be overseen by former Essence Mediacom managing director Stephanie Douglas-Neal.
