Bank Mandiri shortlists 10 agencies

DDB and Bates had earlier withdrawn from the pitch due to the bank’s refusal to pay a pitch fee of $2,700 required of large advertisers.

The bank had invited 14 agencies for an initial briefing and will be further narrowing down its search to about four agencies in the final round.

The 10 agencies included in the first shortlist include Dentsu Strat and incumbent Hotline.

In August, Djarum, Indonesia's third largest cigarette-maker, became the first advertiser to refuse to pay agencies a pitch fee since the protocol on pitching was introduced by the Indonesian 4As late last year.