VMLY&R South Africa has landed the full Vodacom advertising account. The pitch – for one of the largest accounts on the continent – took less than two months to complete and saw VMLY&R triumph against stiff competition from over 20 agencies.
“The word ‘monumental’ isn’t one I use lightly but this win certainly fits the bill,” said CEO Jarred Cinman in a press release. “Not only is this a very large account but Vodacom has the unique ability to improve people’s lives and reshape our country and continent. These are the foundations on which VMLY&R (nee NATIVE) was founded and is mirrored in all of our offices around the world.”
The remit includes through the line advertising for all business units within Vodacom as well as the master brand. Partners to VMLY&R in this pitch included consultancy DY/DX, black female owned Think Creative Africa and the Oxford Nelson, a part of the Demographica group to handle B2B skills. Moreover VMLY&R global telco experts will be working as part of the retained team.
This win caps a year of strong local wins for the agency including ABSA CIB, Environ, Ozow and the first big project for adidas. Globally VMLY&R has been on a major roll starting with the global Intel account early in the year and recently adding Zespri and Walgreens Boots Alliance to the list. This makes VMLY&R even apart from WPP one of the best performing agencies in the world despite the numerous challenges posed by Covid-19.
Sharing his enthusiasm for the partnership ahead, VMLY&R Global CEO Jon Cook said: “We are thrilled to start our journey with Vodacom. We share a passion for creating a connected society and believe that strong brands are at the centre of making that a reality. We are committed to driving digital transformation and delivering upon business outcomes for Vodacom in our partnership starting today.”
