Zenith scoops £35m Iberia media business

LONDON - Zenith Media, part of the recently named Zenith Optimedia media-buying powerhouse, has scooped Spanish airline Iberia's £35m global media-planning and buying business following a pitch.

The win, which covers 10 markets in Europe and the US, comes as the airline enters a period of restructuring, which will see it lay off 2,561 staff in an attempt to save £98.4m over the next two years.



Zenith beat off competition from nine agencies to win the account. The competing agencies were: Universal McCann; Starcom; The Media Edge; CICM; incumbent BBDO; Media Direction; Zenith sister agency Optimedia; Carat; and MindShare.



FCB/Tapsa scooped the creative work. It won following a pitch against McCann-Erickson, Leo Burnett, Publicis, Young & Rubicam and BBDO.



Earlier this year, FCB/Tapsa and Zenith Media won the respective creative and media assignments for the privatisation of Iberia.



Zenith Optimedia -- 75% owned by Publicis and 25% by Cordiant Communications Group -- was the result of long-running negotiations between the two advertising giants over the future of Zenith. Publicis took over Saatchi & Saatchi's 50% of the media buyer when it bought the agency last summer.



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Claire Billings, recommends

Iberia

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