Woolworths appoints new CMO and adds Leo Burnett to creative roster
Tony Phillips
Woolworths has hired former Coles executive Tony Phillips as its chief marketing officer and added Leo Burnett to its creative agency roster in a shake up to its marketing services.
Phillips is a former managing director of George Patterson Y&R Melbourne, handling clients like Carlton United and National Australia Bank, he is also founder and managing director of AdTown.
He joins Woolworths from Coles where he has spent the previous seven years in the roles of general manager, marketing communications, general manager sponsorships and events and general manager.
“I’d like to sincerely thank Droga5 for their work over the past two years.”
Ouch.
Third agency and fifth marketing director in under three years.
Please get rid of that irritating jingle which sounds like a little elf singing in my head: Monday, tuesday, wednesday.
Four marketing directors in 3 years fail so they knock off the competitors guy.
Copying Coles is all they’ve done since McLeod arrived.
Pathetic.
As long as the marketing department at WW is referred to as “the catalog department” by the rest of the organisation, there is sod all an agency can do to help that client.
Best of luck Leo’s. You’re gonna need it.
Onwards and upwards to those at D5.
– Not written by a D5-er… just an observer who knows the client.
@SQ You’re right, but Coles is also just copying Tescos. I presume WW’s ‘new’ plan will be to copy Sainsbury’s as they move into the Oliver era.
Jamie started an ad agency shortly after Droga had the idea to use him.
His production company get pretty much everything too, this will just be a retail client for Leo’s and made worse by ‘down down’ syndrome.
Do not envy anyone associated with this account at all.
Tony was a creative and dynamic force while at Coles, Woolies is extremely lucky to have him.
When asked whether they would like a check box or radio button on an online form one Woolies marketer replied “What does Coles do?”. Good luck working with that.
Woollies and Todd… Odd couple of the century