Sprint Seeks New Lead Creative Agency

By Erik Oster 

Sprint FramilySources told Adweek that Sprint is seeking a new lead creative agency.

According to the publication’s sources, the review will be focused on above-the-line marketing, most of which is spent on television. Sprint spends approximately $800 million on measured media annually. According to Adweek, it’s still unclear if the review also includes digital work, which is currently handled by DigitasLBi.

Sprint has a somewhat unusual history of agency relationships. In 2011, the company unexpectedly shifted its advertising duties from Goodby, Silverstein & Partners to a team consisting of various Publicis Groupe agencies, led by DigitasLBi, who worked in conjunction with Leo Burnett on broadcast advertising. However, last year Sprint assigned those duties to Figliulo & Partners, who created the recent “Framily” campaign. (With Sprint abandoning that plan, and now searching for a new agency, it seems the Frobinsons may have seen their moment pass.)

Advertisement

The move doesn’t exactly come as a surprise, given these comments made by Masayoshi Son, CEO of Sprint parent company Softbank:

“Sprint spends a large amount of money on advertising every year, but its effects have been almost negligible. I directed the Sprint executives to terminate all existing contracts with the company’s advertising agencies. We will shortly start from scratch on advertising, with new agents also making proposals.”

Dream client?

Advertisement