DentsuBos has secured its first global win since Dentsu acquired Bos last June. Working in collaboration with Dentsu Inc. in Tokyo and Dentsu Network in New York, it triumphed over four other agencies in a pitch that saw it win the right to take on Hitachi’s first global campaign.
The account is being managed out of Tokyo (Dentsu has a 40-year-long working relationship with Hitachi in Japan) while strategic development and creative work is being handled by DentsuBos. The Canadian agency was chosen because of its creative skill set and familiarity with cultural diversity, said Claude Carrier, the agency’s president.
“Somebody at Dentsu said, ‘these guys have good minds and a good creative skill set and I think it’s been proven in other sectors that they can bring some good creativity to their work,’” said Carrier, “‘and they’re very multicultural. There are people who come from all over the world in Canada. People who should be sensitive to various cultures, so why don’t we have a discussion with them.’”
“We chose DentsuBos to lead this effort based on their track record as a creative agency with a great sensitivity and affinity for various cultures,” added Tim Andree, Dentsu Network’s CEO, in a release.
Given that the pitch for Hitachi’s global campaign came about so soon after Dentsu merged with Bos, Carrier said their success is a testament to the great work they will produce going forward.
“We learned a lot about each other in that process and gained a lot of mutual respect across the oceans, and I think, if anything, it says we can really do some good stuff together,” said Carrier. “We bring different skill sets to the table and together we can offer our clients something that’s very valuable and understand that our colleagues over there are thinking the same way.”
He adds that the win also says a lot about Canadian creative talent. “This is proof that we can shine outside our own country.”
The creative work for the pitch was developed through a joint effort of DentsuBos’ Toronto and Montreal offices. Carrier said that Hitachi’s campaign will focus in social innovation in business and how Hitachi is applying that to infrastructure for cities and societies, dealing mostly with transportation, water and energy systems.
“The kind of work that we will do… will address the know-how and the contribution that Hitachi can make in those areas,” said Carrier.
DentsuBos is about to start production on the campaign, which is slated to roll out in late spring.
