Diageo Australia appoints Activation Union as new BTL creative agency

Diageo Australia has today announced the appointment of Activation Union as its below the line agency of record.

Says Hayden Abercrombie, marketing director, Diageo: “After an extensive market review, we are thrilled to announce that Activation Union has been appointed as our below the line creative agency. We believe that the partnership with Activation Union will play a pivotal role in achieving our strategic objectives and look forward to the creativity and innovation they will bring to our marketing efforts.  With their expertise, we are confident that we will excel in the ever-evolving landscape of consumer and shopper engagement.”

Adds Ben Balesteri, head of shopper, Diageo: “The primary objective of the review is to transform how we engage consumers and shoppers at the moment of choice.  Activation Union demonstrated an unmatched ability to develop insight-led, breakthrough shopper marketing activities that we believe will foster sustainable and profitable category growth for our brands.”

Activation Union was founded by James Neale (pictured below) and opened in March this year. Neale brings over 18 years of Diageo experience from agency side roles adding a wealth of knowledge and category credentials.

As the agency’s name suggests, ‘Union’ provokes a philosophy of partnership, enabling the agency to bring in the best external skills to complement in-house capabilities. For Diageo, Activation Union has partnered with Howatson+Company to support with data, technology and creative.

Says Chris Howatson, CEO, Howatson+Company: “James is a brilliant operator and we couldn’t be more thrilled to partner with him and his talented team. Hayden and Ben have a brilliant vision for their future growth and the opportunity to contribute to their success is a real privilege.”