Telstra appoints new bespoke agency +61 ~ made up of Bear Meets Eagle On Fire, TBWA and OMD
After completing a thorough review, Telstra has announced a shake up to its brand and marketing agency roster, with the appointment of ‘+61’, a new creative partnership formed to lead its brand. +61 is a bespoke partnership bringing together the world class thinking and creativity of independent creative studio Bear Meets Eagle On Fire, powered by the full integrated capability of TBWA and Telstra’s existing media agency OMD.
+61 will form a seamlessly integrated way of working on the Telstra business.
Telstra is moving away from a traditional agency roster with specialist agencies that focus on brand, customer communications and retail scopes; as a result it will no longer be working with The Monkeys, CHEP and DDB.
Says Brent Smart, chief marketing officer, Telstra: “Firstly, I would like to thank The Monkeys, CHEP and DDB for many years of partnership and the contribution they have made to Telstra’s business.
“We are excited to build something new in the Australian market with +61. This partnership will give us the best of both worlds – an independent creative agency powered by a network agency; the creative vision of the team at Bear Meets Eagle On Fire combined with the strategic and integrated capabilities of TBWA. It will allow us to achieve a new level of creative and media integration, with our exceptional media partner OMD the third and equal partner in the model.
“This is not just another standalone one-client agency built to deliver efficiencies. We have big creative ambitions and this is about the best talent and thinking from three agencies at the top of their game, collaborating on our business as one team with one commercial arrangement.
Says Micah Walker, founder, Bear Meets Eagle On Fire: “Partnering with Brent, TBWA and OMD on such an iconic brand – and putting creativity and thinking at the very heart of something custom-designed, was an opportunity we couldn’t say no to. It’s a huge honour for all of us at Bear to be considered for such an ambitious assignment. We can’t wait to get into it.”
Says Paul Bradbury, CEO, TBWA Australia and New Zealand: “Brent and the Telstra team’s creative ambition and genuine desire to do things differently make this a very special opportunity for us all. Our partnership with one of the world’s most exciting creative independents, Bear Meets Eagle on Fire, and Australia’s best media agency and Omnicom family member, OMD, we believe is a force multiplier. And like Micah, we can’t wait to get started.”
Says Peter Horgan, CEO Australia and New Zealand, Omnicom Media Group: “OMD has been a long-term partner to Telstra and we feel privileged to be part of a future facing alliance to support through the exciting challenges ahead.”
Telstra and +61 will commence work together from December 2023.
95 Comments
Congrats to all the winners
to the Bear crew.
Can’t wait to see what this brings.
A few trad agencies are on life support.
Can’t wait to see who’ll get the business in 12 months time.
bold from Smarty, I like it.
Brent + Micah + Ian = great stuff ahead.
Sounds like a nightmare for similar reasons Le Truc failed.
Not one creative soul in that place.
What strategy do they do. never seen it.
That is a crazy move given the incredible work pumped out by the monkeys
Some people believe in their own ability way too much
Lol
Congrats to the winners, prepare for a world of pain
Only time will tell.
Nice one! looking forward to seeing the great work you’re all bound to make.
Why are TBWA picking up business at the moment? Where’s the work? TBWA Australia ain’t no Chiat-Day!
Maybe it’s because they’re the disruption company… and all this disruption will act as a smokescreen for some very poor marketing results over the next 12-18mths… “we’re still optimising the +61 model” (etc…).
It’s so weird to see The Monkeys Telstra Footy work held up with such pride one week (which is great work)… and then this?
Makes no sense. A poor workman blames his tools as the saying goes.
I think the question you need to be asking yourself, is why aren’t you picking up the work?
Will it be like working with Mick and Ian and JWT and Ikon on Vodafone? Those were the days…
6 months max
on a mission to ruin another iconic Aussie brand.
Isn’t this the same model they have for coles?
Yes & it doesnt work.
Lots of art not advertising coming our way with all involved being out in under a year.
Top of our game! Lol
Micah and team + Springy and team? Yeah, I reckon that’ll do it.
Apart from a stack of Gold Effies, the Telstra CMO gig and some cracking new Country Footy work…
What incredible work? One decent ad in 10 years is nothing to shout about.
Based on what? Hats off for being able to convince a board at Telstra that the work bear meets eagle on fire should be appointed. On what work? This is next level selling ice to the eskimos.
But but but we won sooooo many Effies !?
Effies!?!!!!
One ad does not a legacy make
The Monkeys, part of Accenture Song, have every betting client bar Sports Bet, They’ll be fine.
Will this be a joint TBWA effort across Melbourne and Sydney?
Big congrats to Bear. Very well deserved. Going to be some fun stuff coming out on an icon
TBWA’s Disruption is the strategic equivalent of a one trick pony with a gammy leg …
+61 Smith St.
Sell sell sell!
So now TBWA doesn’t do the creative on its two biggest clients.
Who’s the other client?
Sorry this doesn’t make sense. The Footy campaign is probably the best work this year, why would you dump The Monkeys.
I smell a rat and time will tell.
Sole-less place and the Management – watch your back.
The only disruption is inside TBWA.
Id be making sure TBWA is as hands off as possible. With everything.
@ What the?: Perhaps their award-winning work on a legacy Australian brand seeking relevance in an incredibly competitive consumer-facing market?
I’m not privy to the internal machinations within the Telstra board, but it wouldn’t surprise me if that played a part.
Dont be sore losers. Monkeys make the AOR of advertising.
There’s no way that CMO looked at the TBWA reel and said yes this is a better option.
It’s about controlling the weaker below
Big congrats Monkeys on an incredible innings. The rumors have been out for months. Sounds like it was a painful process with an nevitable result.
Oil and water simply don’t mix.
But TBWA are killing it.
Why do you hate to say it?
And how exactly are they killing it creatively?
Ha. Thanks.
The best creative minds with the best strategic minds with a proven Media Arts Lab / Apple model… Massive play love it
Don’t think there’s been any good apple work locally?
It’s amazing that the board of a major Australian company would allow one of the countries biggest market retainers to be awarded to such a small shop. Mind boggling they’d take such a risk. What could go wrong? Maybe ask IAG.
someone commenting on his own genius.
Please tell me they fire MAUD for that rebrand too
Eek. Sounds scarily like another Smith St mess.
She said.
TBWA 2nd behind Special for AWARD network of the year ain’t too shabby
Consolidation is good. BMEOF is very good. They’ll direct the heart of the creative as they are the real deal. TBWA will be the eager chop shop. It will work. the people in control at Telstra are smart.
What a massive win for Optus. How long before Brent is gifted the gig as Global CEO Media Arts Lab?
Think everyone is missing the fact that TBWA business and strategy capabilities is joining forces with bear’s creative fire power. I think this is genuinely one to watch, new era and new model. Keen to see where this goes
Bit if an insult to TBWA’s creative capabilities don’t you think.? Can’t imagine the creative department would be excited.
What a massive bunch of bitter and/or jealous people on here
When the client wants to dictate they create a strategic pool
Of yes men / women / et al. Around them. That way they make ALL the decisions. They make all the ads themselves. It’s essentially an in- house gig gone out of house.
This has been hanging around for awhile. The Monkeys went out with a bang with one of the best ads of the year and at least picking up the baton is one of the best emerging agencies in Bear. Only reservation is +61; just don’t be another Smith St.
Umm so what are tbwa creatives gonna do?
Most ex agency CMO’s secretly want their own agencies.
Fees is Why
Has this model worked anywhere?
So Bear is the big winner and creates the fun stuff, while TBWA fills up the back end.
How will TBWA attract good people to work on Telstra?
I give it a year to settle in, a year to fall apart.
Most shortlisted agency for Strategy at AWARD says it all
Pretty astounding that they awarded this to an unproven team. It is the biggest creative account in Australia. So we are going to ram Bear and TBWA together, and deliver work like the stuff Bear did for NRMA? And what happens when Brent leaves?
You’re going to keep making made up awards fodder like Classify Consent.
Apart from the rightly well received footy ad, created under Brent Smart, can anyone recall any other half decent work made for Telstra?
This is a really expensive manoeuvre, and full of risk. Two agencies with nothing in common, with the larger, more powerful one relegated to a embarrassingly subservient role. It even comes through in the press release.
Agreed. Even the footy ad is teetering on the edge of obscurity. Nothing of real substance.
There are so many cliches that could sum up this alliance.
“Too many cooks spoil the broth.”
“They asked a committee to design a horse and they came back with a camel.”
I am sure there are many more.
Why not just go for a ‘one and done’ solution? Find the best agency, give them the account, streamline the process, and let them do what they are good at.
This feels more like a client ordering a bowl of miso katsu ramen but wanting a Greek salad in it, some cereal as well, maybe some baked beans, and a few marshmallows on top, hedging their bets as they don’t really know what they want. Indecision has never been a great way to create great work.
But, only time will tell.
Are you one of the losers?
Are you not entertained?
take the loss and move on. bitter comments and jabs don’t win pitches – you should know this by now
You seem to have missed the entire point of the pitch.
And you’ll see why Monkeys couldn’t hold Telstra. Brent came from Colenso and anyone who’s been through there knows who’s really doing the work.
I think these conjoined agencies are yet another sign of what low regard we are held in by clients. We are not partners, or even people to them. It’s horrendous.
Keeps TBWA alive in this market. Ad-world philanthropy!?
Cmon, how many of these comments are Telstra folk? I love you all but you’re not ‘serious’ people.
When Bleh Meets Burning Ego.
If The Monkeys couldn’t pull it off with all of Accenture at their back maybe it’s the consultancies that just don’t deliver. A lot of promises for years about transforming clients end to end… and they are still just a company that owns an ad agency with no proof they can sell or deliver their promise to connect business and brands. Hats off to a holding company for getting it done. And bummer for The Monkeys Accenture couldn’t get it done. Let’s watch for the slow de-funding of the creative agencies by the consultancies as they write off their big investments. The Monkeys should do a Thinkerbell and buy themselves back.
I think what has been lost in this blog is the weight OMD brings. They Australia’s top media shop by far, already working on Telstra (aka don’t need to tool up to work on it).
A pure Accenture play (vs Omnicom + Bear here) will always be hard without a big, credible non-network media agency to look after their likely $100M+ spend. Initiative (likely pitch partner) would need to find a huge bench of people quickly. But from where, in 2 months?
Maybe Brent didn’t want to take that risk with his enormous budget. I wouldn’t.
I’m an ex-TBWAer and fucking love that place. The people and culture are incredible. I’m not a fan of the bespoke agency model, I think it detracts from an agencies biggest selling point for clients; objectivity and experience beyond the brand you’re working on. But I’m glad the team won it and look forward to seeing what they come up with. Also, TBWA has a history of playing nicely with other agencies to get the best work out, and I’m sure they’ll work well with Micah and the crew. Well done to them both.
Pretty obvious that Bear will crack the main ideas and TBWA will roll out the metric shit-tonne of things that come with a client this size. Probably a lot of money to be made in the roll-out, so TBWA win. Bear keep their credibility as an ideas shop and don’t end up like Droga5 after Woolies.
How long before Omnicom just decide to buy out BMEOF?
No need since Bear just give what little IP they have for free to TBWA with this merged offering.
Retail hellhole until you die. Get amongst it
Hey, what’s wrong with adult contemporary music?
What work have bear actually done? A few Optus ads and a NRMA campaign. This feels like big red & DDB. It will be done in 12 months.
When presenting the new coms set up to the Board what work would they have shown from Eagle meets Bear?
Would have been a short reel.