Goodby, Silverstein & Partners is ready to sell some cars again.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles appointed GS&P as lead creative agency for its Chrysler brand, Adweek reported yesterday. FCA’s biggest brand, Chrysler spent around $179 million on measured media last year and $78.6 million during the first six months of 2016, according to Kantar Media.
The appointment comes nearly ten months after FCA announced it would be ending its relationship with W+K Portland, which had handled advertising for its Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Maserati brands since 2010. Back in May, multiple sources claimed the review was down to its final stages, with agencies Droga5, Iris Worldwide New York and Minneapolis agency Mono as the three finalists. Clearly something was lost in translation but the appointment also comes as a surprise because GS&P hasn’t counted an auto manufacturer among its clients since parting ways with Chevy in 2013. Before that the agency worked with Saturn from 2002-2006, Porsche from 1993-1998, and Hyundai from 2006-2008.
As for FCA’s other brands, DDB Chicago won lead creative duties on Jeep back in February, after Iris Worldwide crafted the brand’s Adweek Super Clio award-winning big game spot “Portraits.” In May, GSD&M picked up creative duties for Dodge.
Chrysler marks the latest in a string of account wins for GS&P this year, including being named the first AOR for mobile social gaming company GREE and being named global AOR for StubHub back in March. The agency also appointed Margaret Johnson as its first CCO and added a dozen members to its creative department over the summer.