Dive Brief:
- Joining a plethora of other big brands, American Airlines is putting its creative budget under review.
- The airline has worked with McCann Erickson’s affiliate TM Advertising since 1981.
- The move by AA is part of larger trend impacting big brands and big agencies around the world putting $26 billion in ad spending under review.
Dive Insight:
Add another brand to “reviewageddon” – American Airlines is putting its longstanding relationship with McCann Erickson and its affiliate TM Advertising under review. The process includes the airline’s global creative and media budget and is expected to last until early October. American Airlines has worked with TM Advertising since 1981, and in the U.S. alone spent almost $30 million in media buys last year. The decision should come down right around the same time AA drops the branding on its 2013 acquisition, US Airways.
In a statement regarding the review, American Airlines said the move comes as "part of a broader objective" they have been carrying out since merging with US Airways, adding they are evaluating all major partners "to ensure we are receiving competitive and effective service provision." The largest North American airline company also explained that both the airline and advertising industry landscapes had changed and become more competitive since the last time they put up their media business out for bid, and "we want to ensure we align ourselves with the right agency who understands our goals as the world's largest airline and can provide the best resources and services to meet our needs globally."
Reviewageddon is a trend rocking the ad agency world, putting $26 billion in global ad spending under review with brands including Coca-Cola, Volkswagen, Proctor & Gamble and more reassessing relationships with major creative shops such as Publicis Groupe and WPP.