Campaign Imminent: Philips taps new creative, media, PR AORs

Update: Concluding a five-month review, Philips Electronics awarded its $300m creative, media and communications remits to Omnicom. Specifically, Philips will work with Omnicom-owned TBWA (creative), OMD (media), FleishmanHillard (PR and communications) and Ketchum (PR and communications). Fleishman and Ketchum retained this account after already having worked with Philips for a decade. Dentsu's Carat previously held most of the company's global media business, but it does retain Philips's domestic appliances business, which includes kitchen, coffee, garment care and home care appliances. This shift is a loss for Ogilvy, which had picked up Philips's global remit in 2011. R3 handled this review.

Sellers should get in touch soon to secure last-minute ad dollars related to upcoming work from the company's new AOR/s. Right now, Philips is targeting Gen-Z and millennials via digital channels, specifically paid social and podcast. It may also invest in OTT.

Read more details about the company's recent spend in the article below.

Agency & martech readers - Since Philips has consolidated its business, there will probably be no more reviews here. Focus your attention elsewhere.

The article below was originally published on May 4:

Philips Electronics has removed Dentsu from its agency roster amid the $300m global integrated review that began earlier this year. In March, the company cut WPP, which was awarded Philips's advertising account in 2011, from the review as well. Thanks to a separate review, WPP still handles a portion of Philips's digital and performance media responsibilities.

Reportedly, IPG, Omnicom and Havas are still being considered. The review will likely conclude in Maym, and it will consolidate Philips's media, creative and communications businesses. Up until this review kicked off, Dentsu's Carat handled most of the company's global media remit. R3 is running this review.

Pathmatics reports Philips has spent roughly $4.9m on digital ads YTD, over double the roughly $2.1m it spent within the same timeframe last year. In 2020, the company ended up allocating an estimated $19m toward this channel, similarly around twice the estimated $9.6m it allocated in 2019. Since the beginning of 2021, Philips has earned ~711.6m digital impressions via Instagram (55%), Facebook (17%), desktop video (10%), desktop display (9%), Twitter (5%) and mobile display (3%) ads.

According to Magellan, Philips has also aired 326 podcast ads within the past 12 months.

The company is primarily targeting Gen-Z and millennials right now, as you can tell by its sharp increase in digital spend, reliance on Instagram and Facebook advertising and notable usage of podcast ads. Thus, I expect Philips also invests in OTT.

Agency & martech readers - I doubt additional agency reviews will follow this one since it will merge most of its outsourced duties. The fact that the company is narrowing down options leads me to believe your window of opportunity here has closed.