TAC formally announces Clemenger BBDO Melbourne as creative agency
One of the longest relationships in Australian advertising has officially been severed with the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) officially naming Clemenger BBDO Melbourne its new creative agency.
It was reported in November the relationship between the TAC and Grey which stretches back 24 years was set to end, but today the TAC confirmed Clems will take control of the main ad account on January 1, on a three-year contract.
According to the TAC 26 agencies put their names forward when the contract came up for statutory tender in June, and a “rigorous process” saw them ditch Grey, which has produced several award winning campaigns for it in the last quarter century.
The win is a further boost to the burgeoning Clemenger Melbourne office, but leaves question marks over the future of Grey in Australia as the TAC was its biggest client.
Merger between GPY&R and Grey now surely has to happen?
I guess this is an opportunity (or maybe the only option) for Grey to re-invent itself?
No doubt they will have to let go quite a few of ther staff. And given $$$ is what counts, some of the bigger heads will have to roll too. It’s not a good result for their CEO to have on his CV.
Another thing Grey do well (apart from ads) is their Eye on Australia report. Perhaps Grey should re-position as much as an insights lab as a ad shop? Backing up their arguments about creative with data, research, analytics, etc…
I hear mccann almost pipped them. Would have been a gamechanger on many levels.
Although with clemengers ‘non-exclusive’ contract, doesn’t sound like they’ll be able to breathe easy any time soon.