DDB dumped as Colenso BBDO snares creative duties for insurance group IAG and its AMI brand

General insurance group IAG has completed an internal assessment of its agency partnerships and has confirmed that AMI’s above-the-line advertising and media work will move to Colenso BBDO Auckland and Spacestation respectively, sharing the agency stable alongside IAG’s other direct insurance brand State.

The decision means that AMI will move its marketing relationships from DDB New Zealand and OMD (Media).

IAG’s head of marketing and communications, Michael Pryor, says the opportunity is to ensure that a strategic portfolio approach is at the forefront of how IAG maintains its market leadership position with its direct insurance brands.

Says Pryor: “The insurance industry is going through a significant period of change. It is important for us to ensure a well coordinated strategy borne of a deep knowledge of the value propositions of our direct insurance brands. In our view this can best be achieved by consolidating work with marketing partners who can support our portfolio approach and broader strategy.

“The strong existing relationships we have with Colenso and Spacestation will work well to serve AMI and State equally.  As a result of us working collaboratively across AMI and State we are also expecting to see benefits in terms of greater coordination and marketing efficiencies with our chosen agency partners.

“Both DDB and OMD have contributed strongly to the success of the AMI brand over many years. The relationship has seen some memorable campaign work- but circumstances since IAG’s purchase of AMI earlier this year present the opportunity and need for change.”

IAG says it chose not to follow a pitch process in the view that these can often be disruptive, time consuming and cause a loss of marketing momentum.