On the heels of a global review process, Cadillac has ended its 11-year relationship with Leo Burnett MENA, with Saatchi & Saatchi officially taking over the creative remit as of January 1, 2015. “2014 made for the last year in the contract with Leo Burnett. The RFPs were sent out by end of February and beginning of March [Q2] 2014. The creative review process was finalized end of August,” explains Nadim Ghrayeb, regional brand manager at Cadillac.
Five agencies took part of the pitching process, including incumbent Leo Burnett MENA. Agencies were invited to pitch separately for the Cadillac and GMC accounts. Leo Burnett has retained the GMC account. It was announced to Leo Burnett MENA in September 2014 that the Cadillac account would be moved to Saatchi & Saatchi as of January 1, 2015. The period in between was a handover period between the two agencies.
“The company is currently in the process of revamping and relaunching Cadillac in the region, and Saatchi’s pitch fit better with the new direction of the brand, as well as with its lineup of new products slated to be launched in 2015. Naturally, the communication and advertising behind the new products need to follow suit,” adds Ghrayeb.
