Agency falls short on N. American review, but keeps Canadian account
Although his agency fell short in its bid to become the creative lead for BMW of North America, Cundari chairman and CEO Aldo Cundari says the review process was a unifying experience for agency staff.
Toronto-based Cundari was one of five agencies shortlisted for the automaker’s North American creative assignment, along with eventual winner Kirshenbaum Bond Senecal + Partners, another New York agency Gotham, Grey West in San Francisco and The Martin Agency in Richmond, Va.
“We’re quite proud of that achievement,” said Cundari via telephone from New York on Tuesday. “Obviously it didn’t go our way, but KBS+P has pitched a number of brands including Mini and BMW over the last 20 years and just recently won it. Our first time out, we placed really well.”
Cundari said his agency’s three-hour final pitch for the North American assignment was one of the best of his career. He was informed of BMW’s decision through a quick phone call on Friday, with a full debriefing scheduled to take place sometime in the next two weeks.
The North American decision will have no impact on the agency’s longstanding relationship with BMW Group Canada, said Cundari. “It will not affect our Canadian business at all, and in actual fact I think it just strengthened our relationship by proving that we’re willing to go the extra mile,” he said.
Last year, Cundari successfully defended the Canadian BMW assignment it has held for the past 15 years against Bensimon Byrne, Leo Burnett, Draftfcb and John St. According to Cundari, he was encouraged by the Canadian client to pursue the North American assignment.
Cundari was the only Canadian agency invited to pitch the account, and Cundari told Marketing in June that he liked his chances given his agency’s many years of experience with the BMW brand.
Assessing the review on Tuesday, however, Cundari noted that his agency was the only independent pitching the assignment and the only agency without a U.S. office. “I’m not saying those were the [deciding] factors,” said Cundari. “I believe the better agency always wins, but we had a lot of odds against us.”
Cundari also praised the review process. “There tends to be a lot of abuse in pitches, and in this case they were not abusive – their demands were reasonable,” he said. “The process was well worth it and I think it made our agency a lot better.”
Cundari said the failure to land the BMW assignment will have no impact on the agency’s plans to expand into the U.S. market, part of a long-term business plan that he drafted in 1996.
According to Cundari, his objective is to have a U.S. office either before the end of the year or in early 2012.
