Two months after Y&R Brands Asia resigned as its regional agency and one month after Sony Electronics was opened to a pitch, the regional creative account was split between 10AM Communications and Bates141. The former took the digital imaging category, while the latter was awarded the Bravia and Home AV product lines.
According to Media magazine, Sony invited these two agencies, along with Saatchi & Saatchi and TBWA.
The winning agencies were chosen for their good track record, in-depth strategic analysis, creative strategies, as well as the quality of their Sony teams, said a Sony spokesperson.
Previously, the business had been handled by Y&R since mid-2006. They unexpectedly resigned the business in favor of the LG global account.
“It’s a disappointing decision,” a source at Y&R said in an interview. “We have done excellent work on it and we are very sad to see it go. It was a showcase for us in Asia. But it was a problem for LG, and they are a much larger piece of business in Asia-Pacific.”
Meanwhile, Sony has named Hill & Knowlton to handle PR for its consumer electronics business, marking its first appointment of an agency for the role.
