LG Electronics Co. Ltd. is on the hunt for an ad agency to handle its global corporate brand campaign. Among those invited to participate in the account review are the North American incumbent, WPP Group’s Y&R, Publicis Groupe’s Publicis and sibling shop Saatchi & Saatchi, according to knowledgeable executives.
At present, it appears that much of the global branding work for LG is done in-house by LG Ad. Other roster shops include Y&R’s Brand Buzz.
The marketer spent $74 million on measured media in the U.S. in 2006; global spending could not be determined.
The South Korean company has four core divisions: mobile communications, digital appliances (washing machines, air conditioners, etc.), digital display (TVs and monitors) and digital media (computers and audio equipment). It is unclear which of the divisions will be part of the brief, or if this is even a consolidation.
While LG is not a leading electronics firm in the U.S., it does continue to grow internationally, claiming a sales growth of 22% over the past five years. According to published reports, the company is looking to spend upwards of $300 million through 2010 to market appliances and electronics in the U.S., and is planning to focus more of that spending online.
Media responsibilities are not expected to be part of the review.
LG and the agencies said to be in the pitch did not return calls for comment.
Brooke Capps is a reporter for Advertising Age, a sister publication of RCR Wireless News. Both publications are owned by Crain Communications Inc.
LG begins hunt for new advertising firm
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