‘We’ve had an incredible partnership:’ Bupa parts ways with Thinkerbell and appoints CHEP Network as its lead agency
Healthcare provider Bupa has appointed CHEP Network as its lead marketing agency for Australia, Mumbrella can reveal.
The movement marks the end of the brand’s three-year relationship with Thinkerbell, which has been behind recent marketing campaigns such as Good health is contagious.
Commencing in October, the new model will streamline Bupa’s marketing operations and see CHEP Network partner with support agencies, including 2045, Six Black Pens, and Scooter.
Bupa Health Insurance marketing general manager Naomi Driver said the new agency model would help support the development and execution of its creative campaign needs.
“As we continue to evolve our brand and vision, we wanted to refresh our approach to how we work with our creative agencies. Our new network brings together a tight suite of agencies who will understand us, our brands and our customers intimately, and work with us to collaborate on some exciting future projects,” she said.
“This new partner model aligns with our broader business objectives and brand ambition of being the most customer-centric healthcare company. It will bring consistency in the market across our businesses and help us achieve greater efficiency and value to our 4.3 million customers.”
Bupa and Thinkerbell have worked on a number of successful campaigns since partnering in 2020, including the platform Healthcaring, which showcases its portfolio of health insurance, optical, dental, and aged care and brings them together under one suite.
Driver thanked Thinkerbell for the “incredible partnership”.
“I want to thank the team for working with us to produce some memorable and successful campaigns, but also for their commitment to our brand and our people,” she said.
CHEP Network CEO Lee Leggett said: “It is incredibly meaningful to us to become a partner of an iconic brand that cares deeply about the wellbeing of Australians and creating healthier, happier lives.
“We’re ready to support Bupa’s ambition to provide care to their millions of customers and transform the way healthcare is done.”
CHEP Network will support Bupa across all its Australian businesses, including health insurance, dental, optical, hearing, and aged care.
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Hmm. I doubt that. Perhaps the client simply wanted to part gracefully and said nice things as the changed agencies.
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…by all accounts it sounds like your agency lost the pitch or were unable to fulfil their requirements. Stay salty!
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A load of grouchy strategists commenting.
If you can’t adapt to a pitch process, stay living in 2015.
Pass the salt, you lost fair and square 🙂
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What a typical bunch of whining, snarky agency personas.
In an industry ridden with low client spend, mass redundancies and general consolidation, some of you have the gall to act like its not your jobs to pitch.
Heres a thought: If its a wasteful process or a general waste of your time… dont bother! Nobody was holding a gun to your head.
And lets be honest.. regardless who won, the same people would be on here whining that it wasn’t fair, having a crack at Thinkerbell if they maintained the account, etc.
Grow up and get off your bean bags.
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“Bupa thanked Thinkerbell for the “incredible partnership” to “produce some memorable and successful campaigns, but also for their commitment to our brand and our people,”… yet was rewarded with what exactly?
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Sounds like Thinkerbell were just too smart for Bupa.
Chep though will be perfect.
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Why would you bother?
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The worst ran pitch of our time.
21 agencies were given 30 minutes to pitch (20 minute presentation and 10 minute q&a).
No other meetings were allowed between agency and potential client.
The brief was a retail brief for one part of the agency.
It was a shambles.
Trinity P3 should do a case study on it.
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By all accounts this was the most horrendous, wasteful, procurement lead process in a long line of horrendous, wasteful, procurement lead processes. Changing agencies every three years won’t fix foundational business issues. Good luck everybody!
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@Participant – this is why we run our regular survey – https://www.trinityp3.com/state-of-the-pitch/. You’re always welcome to take part. I don’t think we’ll be exactly writing a case study on this one by the sound of it….
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