We Hear: Expedia Splits with 180LA After 6 Years in Global Consolidation Move

180LA has lost the Expedia account after almost 6 years, according to several parties familiar with the agency’s business.

Recent reports are in keeping with this claim: just over a week ago, news broke that the travel company had consolidated all five of its global accounts with Saatchi & Saatchi after a three month review that our sources claim ended in early January. Those reports do not mention 180LA but do note that Team One will be working on “creative development, brand strategy and execution” in Los Angeles.

It would seem, given the timeline, that 180LA lasted until the final round of the review. But that’s not clear from the official statements.

In early 2012, 180LA beat out GS&P and Creature for the account, which had been with The Martin Agency for three years. It went on to create a wide range of work from the debut UGC campaign “Find Yours” to a VR project with St. Jude’s Hospital and the interactive “Visit Britain,” which won Gold and Bronze Lions at Cannes last year.

Expedia x The Only Place [Case Study] from FLO. on Vimeo.

We have reached out to both 180LA and Expedia this week. The former deferred to the client and the latter has yet to provide a statement.

Recent spending totals for Expedia are not available at this time. The company has long maintained its own in-house agency, Expedia Media Solutions, that offers services to third party brands and stretches across all associated properties like Hotels.com, Orbitz and Travelocity.

We Hear: McCann Eliminated From ALDI U.S. Review

ALDI is in the midst of a review of its U.S. account and incumbent McCann Detroit has been eliminated in the process, according to sources with direct knowledge of the matter. Sources claim Leo Burnett is among the finalists in the review.

McCann declined to comment. ALDI U.S. has yet to provide a statement as of publication time.

ALDI spent just over $51 million on measured media in the U.S. in 2016 and $40 million in the first six months of 2017, according to Kantar Media.

ALDI named McCann as lead agency for its U.S. account back in 2009. The agency brought on Gary Holme as senior vice president and creative director on the account in 2015, but he appears to have left the agency a year and a half later.

McCann Manchester has long handled ALDI’s advertising in the U.K. and retained the account following a review in 2016 which included Mother, JWT, M&C Saatchi, and  Havas. In 2015, McCann Worldgroup Germany was named AOR for ALDI Nord.

Patrick Coffee contributed reporting to this story.

Hill Holliday Apologizes for Party City Ad That Upset Consumers with Gluten Sensitivities

In case you missed it, the first Super Bowl-themed* ad controversy went down this week.

Yesterday, Party City pulled a spot that upset some members of the gluten-free community. Both the company and its creative agency, Hill Holliday, quickly issued apologies and countered the outrage on social media.

The ad starred two women attending a Super Bowl party and standing in front of an “inflatable snack stadium.” One notes “some gluten-free options,” leading the other to ask, “Do we even know people that are like that?” The first woman’s one-word answer, “Tina,” inspires an “Oh, gross, yeah,” response.

Viewers quickly created the #IAmTina hashtag, calling out both brand and agency for insensitivity to the very real population suffering from Celiac Disease and other dietary sensitivities that limit one’s ability to consume breads and related products.

Party City responded with an Instagram post apologizing and clarifying that celebrity Sunny Anderson was not involved in the campaign.

Many did not like the implication that they might be “gross.”

And at least one of those people works in advertising. Here’s Rob Bloom, creative director at Orlando agency &Barr:

As you can see, he addressed the agency directly—and their social media manager responded.

Hill Holliday later wrote, “Party City will be making a donation in support of Celiac disease research.”

A HH spokesperson confirmed today that the agency and its client responded to complaints from gluten-free viewers by pulling the spot, as noted in the tweets and Instagram post above.

Some seemed to take issue with the phrase “food allergies,” as Celiac is an autoimmune disease. According to the Celiac Disease Foundation, 1 in 100 people have inherited resistance to gluten. Interest in gluten-free diets has also been growing in recent years, with 30 percent of respondents saying such a lifestyle appeals to them.

*Not a Super Bowl ad. A Super Bowl-THEMED ad.

Lowe’s Enters Final Stage of 3-Part Regional Creative Review

In December, home improvement giant Lowe’s confirmed that it would be the latest retailer to break with tradition in abandoning the traditional agency of record model.

That news came in the form of a creative review that launched after Lowe’s parted with its CMO and moved its media buying business from OMD to Starcom, thereby ending an exclusive 12-year relationship with Omnicom.

This review, however, is unique in several ways.

Lowe’s is hardly the first client eager to keep its options open on the agency front. But according to three parties with direct knowledge of the matter, the current review is organized by region, with three separate pitches involving agencies in the Northeast, Southeast and Midwest portions of the United States. (Lowe’s is based in Mooresville, North Carolina.)

Each pitch involves three finalists competing to be Lowe’s creative agency for their respective regions. Our sources say the process is now in its last stages, with final presentations occurring last week.

Moving forward, Lowe’s will retain all three winners, maintaining the equivalent of an open-format business relationship with each. In other words, the different shops could simultaneously work on different and potentially complimentary projects. According to our sources, major projects will also follow a “jump ball” round in which the three agencies will pitch against one another.

All factors strongly indicate that spending concerns helped shape this approach, with earlier reports stating that Lowe’s looks to move away from major TV and print work in order to focus more heavily on digital campaigns.

But this not a standard consolidation effort in which a major client moves all work to a single holding group. When news of the review first broke, a BBDO representative confirmed that the agency would be defending its business. According to our sources, IPG’s Ep.+Co, sister agency to Hill Holliday, is also competing in the Southeastern pitch.

A BBDO representative deferred to the client for further comment, and an Ep+Co. spokesperson declined to comment. Lowe’s also declined to elaborate on the review, and the full list of agencies involved is unclear at this time.

All of our sources, however, agree that the winners should be announced in coming weeks.

Armed Forces Insurance Names DEG as Agency of Record

Armed Forces Insurance (AFI) has selected full-service digital agency DEG as its agency of record, following a review.

DEG will be tasked with handling creative, strategy and execution on marketing initiatives for the insurance provider for military professionals. The agency began partnering with AFI on website and email services i n2009. AFI spent almost $4.2 million on measured marketing in 2016 and over $3.4 million in the first six months of 2017, according to Kantar Media.

“Armed Forces Insurance’s top priority is the interests and well-being of our members. DEG’s customer-centric approach and strategies align with our own, and we look forward to finding innovative ways to enhance that experience in this new phase of our partnership,” AFI CMO Lori Simmons said in a statement.

“Armed Forces Insurance has a rich history of member engagement, which we have witnessed first-hand as a long-time agency partner,” added DEG director of client services Joey Barnes. “We are thrilled to be able to utilize the breadth of our services to further engage and grow AFI’s customer base.”

Orbitz Appoints Havas Chicago as Creative AOR

Expedia-owned online travel brand Orbitz selected Havas Chicago as its creative agency of record, following a review which included over ten agencies. Havas will be tasked with creative, digital and social responsibilities.

Orbitzand more than $15 million in the first six months of 2017, according to Kantar Media.

“Beyond the extensive capabilities Havas Chicago brings to the table, they demonstrated a clear understanding of our needs and positioning in a cluttered industry,” Orbitz brand marketing director Carey Malloy said in a statement. “It was like a first date, where both sides just clicked. Havas Chicago delivered on values, transparency and energy that are all similar in our brand philosophy.”

“Cultural relevance isn’t something you can fake,” added Havas Chicago president and chief client officer  Tatia Torrey. “Our approach is deeply rooted in contemporary culture which allows us to be the best partner to brands like Orbitz – a brand that is looking to re-energize its connection with travel consumers. We consistently remain at the forefront of trends, making culture rather than borrowing from it, and we look forward to bringing this value to Orbitz.”

White Castle Consolidates Creative with Merkley+Partners

The country’s oldest burger chain has consolidated its creative account with Merkley+Partners.

White Castle selected Merkley+Partners as its new creative agency of record without a review after assigning the retail portion of its creative account to the agency last July. Resource/Ammirati formerly handled the fast food portion of the account, after being selected as agency of record following the brand’s last review in 2014, replacing Zimmerman Advertising. Crossmedia New York continues to handle media buying and planning for White Castle.

White Castle spent around $7.8 million on measured media in 2016 and $7.6 million in the first six months of 2016, according to Kantar Media.

“Certainly, there are efficiencies by consolidating our business with one agency. However, having worked with Merkley for some time now, what really excites us are the ideas and energy we know they will bring to our communications with our consumers, also known as ‘Craver Nation’,” White Castle CMO Kim Bartley said in a statement.

“Expanding our relationship with White Castle satisfies a craving we’ve had for some time now,” added White Castle CEO Alex Gellert. “It makes us very proud to be awarded additional assignments from clients that you already know, respect and really enjoy working with.”

Wolfgang Beats CP+B and Doner to Win Halo Top

Halo Top named Venice Beach, California-based creative agency and consultancy Wolfgang as its first agency of record, following a review.

“Halo Top is a dream brand,” Wolfgang co-founder and president Seema Miller said in a statement. “It’s fun, guilt-free and has essentially redefined the entire ice cream category. We are excited to carry on the momentum for this amazing brand.”

Earlier speculation that Anomaly won the account was incorrect. According to sources close to the matter, Doner and CP+B were finalists in the review.

The brand previously worked with Philadelphia agency Red Tettemer + Partners on a project basis and the agency launched the brand’s first national campaign this past summer. In September, Halo Top teamed up with Mike Diva and Lord Danger Productions for a strange cinema ad.

Halo Top spent a little over $2.1 million in 2016 and $4.2 million during the first six months of 2017, according to Kantar Media.

The Tombras Group Adds Four Clients Representing $20 Million in New Business

Knoxville-based agency The Tombras Group has added four clients that add up to around $20 million in new business.

The new clients are Calypso Lemonade, Tennessee’s Yee-Haw Brewing Company, Ohio healthcare system Mercy Health and optical retailer For Eyes.

“Winning these four marquee brands further validates our philosophy, connecting data and creativity for business results,” The Tombras Group executive vice president Dooley Tombras said in a statement. “This is great momentum for us as we move into our new headquarters next month.”

As a result of the new business, The Tombras Group will add 20 new hires, bringing it up to a total of over 300, up from around 140 in 2015.

You may recall The Tombras Group from this Transformers: The Last Knight tie-in spot for Maaco, which Michael Bay liked enough to direct himself.

JC Penney’s Move to Badgers & Winters Followed a Formal Review

JC Penney recently moved its advertising account to Badgers & Winters.

“Badger & Winters is proud to be working as agency of record for JCPenney, an iconic retail brand,” Badgers & Winters president Jim Winters said in a statement. “We have always admired JCPenney and its commitment to bringing value to America’s hardworking families. We are very much looking forward to working closely with the company on their creative and marketing strategy.”

AdAge reported that mcgarrybowen, an incumbent on the account since 2015, would aid in the transition, with the last work from mcgarrybowen airing some time in the first quarter of 2018. It was unclear, however, whether the assignment had been preceded by a review.

Sources with direct knowledge of the matter told AgencySpy that Badgers & Winters won the assignment following a review conducted by R3.

There are contradicting reports from sources as to whether the incumbent was part of that review.

A source close to the matter informed AgencySpy that “while no agency wants to walk away from an account,” most employees working on the account had already been reassigned and the agency was actively hiring, adding that JC Penney picked an excellent new partner in Badgers & Winters.

Mcgarrybowen picked up a series of new clients in 2017, including American Express, and is part of the Dentsu team that Subway consolidated its U.S. and Canadian accounts last month.

The agency’s work for JC Penney included the June, 2016 body positivity spot “Here I Am.”

Atom Tickets Names Deutsch as AOR

Social movie ticketing platform Atom Tickets selected Deutsch as its first agency of record.

“Deutsch’s strategic, data-driven approach and expertise in launching powerhouse digital brands were key drivers in selecting their agency,” Atom Tickets chief marketing officer Allison Checchi said in a statement. “It is apparent that Deutsch’s team shares the same passion to revolutionize the movie-going experience and we’re thrilled to partner with them.”

“We’re excited to be coming in on the ground floor of a start-up that’s changing the game by creating seamless entertainment experiences for people,” added Deutsch Los Angeles president Kim Getty. “We’re an agency with a deep history of growing digitally born brands that have disrupted industries, and that sets a high bar for the work we create. Atom Tickets is transforming the ticketing process and we look forward partnering with them on this journey.”

The agency will be tasked handling everything from brand strategy and creative to production responsibilities for the social movie ticketing app, which launched in 2016 with backing from Disney, Twentieth Century Fox and Lionsgate. Group account director Steve Sanders and executive creative director Janet Higdon will lead the account out of the agency’sLos Angeles office.

Deutsch’s first work for the client is expected in the second quarter of 2018.

Arnold Worldwide No Longer Lead Agency for CenturyLink

Arnold Worldwide will no longer serve as lead creative agency for CenturyLink.

Sources claim that CenturyLink has ended its relationship with the agency and launched a review, but Arnold claims it is still on the client’s roster.

“With CenturyLink’s acquisition of Level 3 Communications, they have expanded their roster of agencies to allow for cost efficiencies,” an agency spokesperson wrote in a statement. “There was not a review and Arnold is still a roster agency.”

We reached out to CenturyLink, which declined to comment, stating that it doesn’t discuss its agency relationships.

CenturyLink named Arnold as its lead creative agency following a review in November of 2014. Its work for the client included a February, 2016 ad starring Paul Giamatti.

Last month, we reported that Arnold went through a recent round of layoffs at its Boston and New York offices which impacted 32 employees. The staffing cuts followed the agency parting ways with Carnival in May, preceding a review which concluded with the selection of Anomaly as the new creative AOR for the cruise line, and Hershey announcing in August that it was consolidating its creative account with MDC Partners.

Arnold’s future relationship with two other clients are also unclear.

Sources claimed in December that Angie’s List, which named Arnold as its lead creative partner as part of a brand refresh last January, was no longer working with Arnold. An Angie’s List representative commented that the company was “still evaluating our 2018 ad strategy and agency relationships” at the time.

When asked about KAO’s relationship with the agency, KAO senior vice president, regional executive officer, Americas and EMEA mass business Dave Muenz, Sr. said in a statement, “We have and may continue to partner with Arnold on a project basis.”

2017 saw a series of executive level changes for Arnold Worldwide. The agency parted with executive director Barbara Reilly and senior vice president, marketing director and head of new business Michael Shonkoff in February, followed by chief creative officer Jim Elliot the following month. Over the summer, Arnold welcomed Icaro Doria from DDB as its new CCO.

Lindsay Rittenhouse contributed reporting to this story.

The Answer to Taco Bell’s Dollar Menu Is, “Yes”

Price promotions are some of the worst assignments in advertising. That’s the rap, but it’s a bad rap. Taco Bell and Deutsch have no problem at all communicating the value of the QSR’s “Dollar Menu.” “At Taco Bell, the dollar gets you access to more.” There are few places where this line would be believable, […]

The post The Answer to Taco Bell’s Dollar Menu Is, “Yes” appeared first on Adpulp.

Crystal Cruises in Final Stages of Creative Review

Crystal Cruises is in the final stages of a review.

A client spokesperson confirmed it is in the “final stages of the RFP process” to find an agency of record for 2018. Crystal Cruises also confirmed that incumbent VML has been invited to participate and that the agency “continues to support all of our digital initiatives.”

Sources claim the other finalists include MRMMcCann, Digitas and Fluid but the client declined to specify participants beyond the incumbent.

Crystal Cruises spent a little over $1.2 million on measured media domestically last year and around $558,000 in the first six months of 2017, according to Kantar Media.

The news follows the company’s recent announcement that it has appointed Kari Tarnowski as its new vice president, marketing.

VML won AOR duties for Dick’s Sporting Goods in October and retailer Express in August.

Long John Silver’s Names Baldwin& as Lead Agency

Seafood-focused fast food chain Long John Silver’s selected independent Raleigh, North Carolina-based agency Baldwin& as its lead agency for creative, strategy and media planning.

The assignment concludes a review launched in June. Icon International continues to handle media buying for the brand, which was not part of the review.

“Baldwin& is the perfect partner to help build Long John Silvers to new heights,” Long John Silver’s CEO James O’Reilly said in a statement. “The brand strategy, media strategy, creative thinking and the fit between our teams is fantastic.”

“Long John Silver’s is a storied brand that makes amazing food. If you’ve forgotten that, we’re going to help you remember,” Baldwin& executive creative director Russell Dodson added.

Baldwin& is expected to launch a new creative campaign for Long John Silver’s in the first quarter of 2018.

Earlier this year, Baldwin& hired Russell Dodson to replace co-founder David Baldwin as co-executive creative director, as Baldwin moved into a role as CEO. Back in February, the agency expanded its creative department with the arrival of four new creatives.

Nokia Health Names TBD as Global AOR

Nokia Health has selected San Francisco-based TBD as its global creative and strategic agency of record, following a review, tasking the agency with leading integrated marketing campaigns for its digital health services across the U.S. and Europe.

San Francisco-based Mediasmith will handle media buying and planning duties for the brand in the U.S., while Initiative will continue to handle these responsibilities in Europe.

TBD was launched in October by former 180LA executive creative director Rafael Rizuto, innovation strategist Virginia Wang and Argonaut founder Jordan Warren, based on a philosophy of “continual evolution.”

“We were impressed by TBD’s commitment to our vision and its level of sophistication, strategy and listening,” Nokia Digital Health global head of marketing Gemini Babla said in a statement. “In a short amount of time, TBD showcased a great understanding of our products and values by presenting thoughtful and impactful creative that resonated with our team. Culturally we are in the same place and immediately felt like partners.”

TBD’s first assignment for the brand will be a cross-channel campaign launching in early 2018.

“At TBD we are committed to working with purposeful brands who are striving to make a difference in the world,” TBD chief creative officer Rafael Rizuto said in a statement. “We’ve spent a lot of time crafting our vision as an agency so that we aren’t ‘just another agency’ and I couldn’t be more thrilled to see this coming to life with an iconic brand like Nokia in such a relevant category as digital health.”

“We couldn’t have dreamed of a better first client for our new agency,” added TBD CEO Jordan Warren added. 

We Hear: Anomaly Beats Out Doner and CP+B to Win Halo Top Ice Cream

Anomaly’s newest client is Halo Top, the high-protein ice cream “you have to taste to believe.”

According to several parties close to the matter, the agency beat out CP+B as well as fellow MDC shop Doner in the final round of a review to win the business.

The client has not responded to a query regarding the review. CP+B, Anomaly and Doner declined to comment.

Over the summer, the brand brought on Philadelphia agency Red Tettemer + Partners to create its first national campaign. Today an agency spokesperson clarified that it had only worked with the client on select projects, not on a retainer basis. Halo Top previously handled all of its marketing efforts in-house.

It was only later that Halo Top collaborated with “ad parody master” and YouTube creator Mike Diva to develop the creepy, dystopic spot that our parent publication enjoyed so much in September.

In case you’re not familiar with the brand, it’s ice cream for people who work out (or like to pretend that they do). Its “guilt-free pints” feature less sugar, less fat and more protein than your average artery-clogging goodness from those two guys in Vermont. A July press release claimed that Halo Top had become the top-selling ice cream pint in the U.S., and recent reports by food trade journals credit Halo Top, along with recent hurricanes in Florida and Texas, with eating into Unilever’s share of the U.S. ice cream market. A Unilever spokesperson acknowledged that the L.A.-based company had take 1.5 percent of its share and that it would release more Breyers light varieties in response.

The client’s annual marketing budget numbers weren’t available at the time this post went live.

This is Anomaly’s latest headlining win after it succeeded Arnold as Carnival Cruise Lines’ AOR back in August. It’s currently one of five top shops pitching BMW.

Zimmerman Lost a Portion of McDonald’s Business After Chain Shrank Regional Agency Roster from 58 to 7

In an effort to cut costs, McDonald’s consolidated its local advertising business this summer with just seven agencies, a sharp decline from the 58 it used to employ, according to sources with direct knowledge of the situation.

One person, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the agencies chosen were longtime partners Lopez Negrete, Bernstein-Rein, Moroch, Davis Elen and H&L and newcomers Zimmerman and Doner.

Another reliable source confirmed this lineup, which was first reported by AdAge, and added that Zimmerman has since lost an unspecified portion of the business—which amounted to 19 regional co-ops including Ohio. The chain’s 180 cooperatives had been consolidated to 50 prior to the review. Each then chose an agency partner from the list of 7.

It’s unclear why Zimmerman lost a portion of its responsibilities.

“Building the modern, progressive company that we aspire to be involves changing the way we do business,” a McDonald’s spokeswoman wrote in an email to Adweek. “In order to accelerate our efforts to engage customers across all platforms to advance our brand vision, we aim to streamline and modernize our local marketing efforts in 2018.”

She declined to comment further.

Zimmerman also declined to comment, deferring to the client. The agency had not previously worked with McDonald’s, but the primary source said McDonald’s relationship with Omnicom—centered on the dedicated agency We Are Unlimited—played a key role in the chain’s decision to assign the work to the Florida agency.

The decision to consolidate came from McDonald’s executives, who are being pressured to deliver on a pledge they’ve made to produce $300 million in cost savings over the next five years, according to the primary source.

McDonald’s CEO Steve Easterbrook has been laser-focused on what he calls a “velocity growth plan” to reduce costs and streamline operations as the fast-food chain invests heavily in new technology and works to return capital to shareholders.

Per a Kantar Media report, McDonald’s spent $791.3 million on advertising in the U.S. in 2016 and $350.7 million in the first half of this year.

Haberman Wins AOR Duties for ClearWay Minnesota, Launches ‘Big Tobacco Lied’ Campaign

ClearWay Minnesota, “an independent nonprofit organization that improves the health of all Minnesotans by reducing tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke,” has named Haberman as its agency of record.

Haberman will be tasked with overseeing marketing strategy and advertising duties for the organization across all ClearWay Minnesota initiatives, including creative, media buying and planning, PR, digital, social and content marketing. One of the agency’s first assignments will involve promoting ClearWay’s QuitPlan services and continuing its “Stop the Start” campaign.

“Haberman brought forward new strategies to amplify our impact in the community and to create an even greater and lasting legacy for the people of Minnesota,” ClearWay Minnesota vice president Andrea Mowery said in a statement. “Haberman knows how to integrate and execute in today’s ever-changing marketing landscape, and to top things off, there was an immediate and genuine connection to the Haberman team in terms of mission and authenticity. We look forward to doing more good together in the coming years.”

“As an agency with a mission and passion for serving health and wellness clients, we’ve admired for years the work ClearWay Minnesota has done to drive down smoking rates in Minnesota,” added Haberman co-founder and CEO Fred Haberman. “The cause—working toward a smoke-free world—is about as worthy as it gets, and the opportunity to solve social problems and change behavior energizes our agency. We are honored ClearWay Minnesota selected us as their marketing partner, and we look forward to helping them make a continued difference in the world.”

ClearWay Minnesota launched a “Big Tobacco Lied” campaign building off big tobacco companies’ recent court-mandated ads for the Minnesotans for a Smoke-Free Generation coalition, for which ClearWay Minnesota serves as a co-chair. The campaign, centered around BigTobaccoLied.com, features the court-ordered corrective statements, with some additional edits expanding on the companies’ deceptive actions in red.

“While Big Tobacco was court-ordered to tell the truth, they fought for years to get out of having to use certain phrases that would’ve made clear the depth of their deception,” Haberman creative director Emalie Wichmann said in a statement. “So we further corrected Big Tobacco’s corrective statements. We used proofreader’s marks—a human touch to contrast the callous black-and-white copy—to edit in details they fought to keep out of their ads. These details are critical because they not only underscore the depth of Big Tobacco’s deception, they also shine a light on what we’re still fighting against.”

The campaign will run through the spring, with an emphasis on social media, a platform noticeably absent from the court-mandated campaign from big tobacco companies. That effort will run for a year on broadcast and print outlets.

Lowe’s Is the Latest Client to Abandon the Agency of Record Approach

Lowe’s confirmed today that it has launched a creative review and will no longer be working with creative agencies on an AOR basis. The news first ran in Adweek.

This is bad for BBDO, which has been creative agency of record on the brand for more than a decade, and for its parent company Omnicom, which already lost the media portion of the business back in February.

From a company spokesperson:

As we continue to explore compelling and efficient ways to engage with consumers, we made the decision to evolve our agency business model to one where we can collaborate with a roster of creative agencies. We believe this new approach will provide our team with the diverse thought, talent and capabilities needed to lead in a dynamic marketing environment.

We are currently working independently on the bidding process. BBDO is participating in the review process to be considered as one of the firms on our roster of creative agencies. We are just beginning the bidding process and can share more details in the coming months.

BBDO first won the business in a 2005 review, beating out Deutsch, McCann and TBWAChiatDay in an IPG vs. Omnicom pitch. It has successfully defended the account twice since then.

According to a couple of people who spoke to us, this is a procurement-based review that gained greater urgency when the incoming CMO Jocelyn Wong conducted an audit and found that Lowe’s spends a considerable amount on TV and print placements; much of BBDO’s recent work has been more focused on digital and social media.

The client’s paid budget came out to $400 million last year, but it’s not clear how much of that went to traditional media and much revenue BBDO draws from the account.

Nor is it clear which agencies are pitching—though it would not be surprising to see a small group of independent shops win portions of the business, as they did in the case of General Mills earlier this year.

[Pic via Lowe’s]