Audi is reviewing its UK advertising accounts, including the creative business.
The procurement team within Audi made the decision earlier this year. The brand (Audi),owned by the Volkswagen Group, has worked with Bartle Bogle Hegarty, BBH London since 1982, having been one of the agencies’ founding clients.
After almost 40 years of handling the brief, BBH is understood to be repitching.
According to The Drum, the Audi division has been under scrutiny from Volkswagen bosses, with new chief executive Bram Schot recently revealing his intention to overhaul the Audi brand as part of a wider efficiency drive in the group.
Marketing and digital director for Audi UK, Benjamin Braun, also recently departed the business for Samsung.
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During his tenure, BBH produced ads like ‘Clowns’ which saw a gang speed down hills in reverse to showcase the automaker’s various technologies and the action-packed martial arts spot ‘Escape’.
Since Braun’s exit, Anna Russell – who heads up Audi’s national brand and retail marketing business – has been leading the team. She recently launched a new campaign with BBH which saw a fleet of vehicles take to a swimming pool to demonstrate their performance capabilities.
BBH has also been working on a new digital brand experience for Audi, in partnership with IBM, after landing the brief following a competitive tender in February. The brief includes transforming all of its digital touchpoints, including the website.
Audi is yet to comment on the review at the time this news was posted.
Yetunde Adegoke
