TBWA and PHD take Singapore Airlines

TBWA and PHD have won the Singapore Airlines pitch that began in August.

The account is believed to be worth anywhere from $50 million to $100 million in total billings (over the five-year lifetime of the partnership). Eleven agency groups bid for the business, including the incumbents, TBWA and Zenith. 

The pitch, part of what the airline called a "major transformation effort", included strategy, creative, media, content, website/app development and production.

“As we carried out our review it was clear that our underlying branding approach, which consists of the iconic Singapore Girl and an emphasis on customer service as a crucial differentiator, remains current and continues to set us apart in our industry,” Campbell Wilson, Singapore Airlines' senior vice president for sales and marketing, said in a release.

Ara Hampartsoumian, managing director of TBWA Singapore, said TBWA and PHD had great synergy in a pitch where success was the "only option".

“We are thrilled to evolve our longstanding relationship with this iconic brand, partnering with them as the airline continues to modernise and transform its business for the future," he added. "We look forward to developing innovative and integrated marketing solutions that will continue to strengthen their preeminent position as the greatest airline in the world."

James Hawkins, CEO of PHD APAC said the win is a testament to the strength of PHD and TBWA’s integrated approach, which "allowed us to unlock the best of media and creative, and deliver the type of fresh thinking that can ultimately take an iconic brand like Singapore Airlines to even greater heights". He added that the unified team has been dubbed "SQ1".

R3 handled the pitch process.