JWT and Leo Burnett have retained Saudi Telecom’s advertising business following a review process that lasted the best part of a year.
The agencies’ Saudi operations will oversee the accounts, with Leo Burnett’s remit covering corporate communications, home, enterprise and wholesale. JWT will handle the company’s mobile operations.
The Saudi Telecom (STC) account had been one of the most sought after in the Gulf, thanks to STC’s standing among the region’s top advertisers. In the first quarter of this year, STC was the third-largest ad spender in Saudi Arabia according to the Pan Arab Research Center. Last year, it spent $130 million, making it the second biggest-spending brand in the region.
Discussing the retention of the account, Raja Trad, CEO of Leo Burnett MENA, said: “Our renewed association with STC demonstrates our close business partnership. It is a partnership that has been growing for 10 years now. It is a relationship based on a passionate commitment to building the STC business in the marketplace. We look forward to this challenge with enthusiasm, and thank STC for their renewed confidence in Leo Burnett.”
The review had included a number of agencies, including Saatchi & Saatchi, Y&R, Memac Ogilvy, Grey and Jeddah-based 3-Points Advertising. STC’s media buying and planning account was retained by Starcom in May last year.
Founded in 1998, STC is the kingdom’s national telcommunications service provider. It rebranded in 2008, for which it was the recipient of two gold media awards at the Dubai Lynx in 2009, courtesy of its ‘New Day New Dawn’ rebranding campaign. The company is also present in Kuwait, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Turkey, South Africa and Bahrain.