16th December 2019
New Business: Mindshare UK beats Zenith to win KFC media account
KFC has awarded its UK media business to Mindshare after a final shoot-out against Zenith.
The7stars and Wavemaker also pitched for the account, which was previously handled by Blue 449 (Zenith’s sister agency) for 16 years.
The pitch was called in September and KFC enlisted the help of pitch consultancy Ebiquity.
It followed a string of changes at Blue 449, including the shock departure of Simon Davis, as well as Phil Georgiadis stepping down earlier in the year. The agency also lost WW (formerly Weight Watchers) and eBay this year.
Earlier this month, Publicis Media announced plans to drop the Blue 449 brand in the UK and the US.
Meg Farren, chief marketing officer at KFC in UK and Ireland, said: "Our partnership with Blue 449 over the years is something we are all incredibly grateful for. It has been hugely successful and that it lasted over 15 years is testament to how well we have worked together. We can’t wait to work with Mindshare and are hopeful for an equally long and fruitful partnership.
"Mindshare demonstrated to us that they have the know-how and desire to help us continue reaching, engaging and, crucially, entertaining people. Mindshare’s strategy is aligned with our vision and their team was the best-placed agency to help us navigate the changing media environment as we head into the next stage of our growth."