.99 back up again as it ascends Tower

Advertising agency .99 is recruiting again after scoring a major win – Tower Insurance.

This latest deal follows a dramatic reversal of fortune after the agency lost Air New Zealand, Vodafone and Westpac earlier this year.

Those losses meant the agency, which is part of the Clemenger Group, had to dump 12 staff, but this latest win, plus others, means it now seeks six more.

Agency chief executive Craig Whitehead told NBR ONLINE that work with the insurance giant begins straight away.

He says he can’t reveal what the campaign might involve, other than it would include television, print media and online.

“We have had a tricky six months. We have experienced a few client losses and made a few hard decisions. We have restructured really well.”

Air New Zealand and Vodafone went to Draft FCB, while Wespac had to be relinquished when a sister company, Colesno BBDO, began work for BNZ.

Mr Whitehead says the accounts have been replaced, now representing BP for below the line campaigns (it uses Ogilvy globally for above the line).

The agency recently won Rinnai gas fires and is set to announce a major client win later this week.

“It’s all good,” Mr Whitehead says of the future.

Tower head of marketing Mark Savage says the company sought a change as it had been using Aix Proximity for the past five years and there had been “a number of personnel changes” at the agency.

.99 won the full-service work in a head-to-head pitch against M&C Saatchi.

“They showed some great creative ability, great thinking with the brand and great capability we can tap into.”

Tower is still working with .99 on possible changes to themes or campaigns.

The company runs the “blueprint" campaign, which aims to connect Tower’s products and services in a way customers can relate to.

“No decision has been made on that,” he says.

Darren Greenwood
Mon, 16 Jul 2012

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.99 back up again as it ascends Tower