Another account at McCann Erickson in New York is in review. Avis Budget Group has issued an RFP for its Avis advertising business, which the Interpublic agency won in 1999.
A rep at the Parsippany, N.J., company confirmed the search, saying, “The decision to do so was a result of recent changes to our marketing management team and our marketing strategy, and does not indicate that we are unhappy with McCann Erickson. We simply want to make sure that we look at all options available to ensure that we are getting the best possible support for our global brand.”
Avis spent $1.6 million on measured media advertising in 2010, according to Nielsen. As recently as 2007, the company spent nearly $28 million.
The Budget ad business, currently at Impax Marketing Group in Philadelphia, is not in review. McCann had earlier been given that account in 2003 after the car rental company was acquired by Avis’s parent company, then known as Cendant Corp.
McCann is participating in the review.
Last week, McCann client Applebee’s casual-dining chain said it put its creative business up for grabs in a review where the agency has chosen not to defend. Earlier this month, longtime McCann marketer ExxonMobil moved its lubricants/chemical and corporate image business to BBDO after a lengthy review.
The company’s Avis and Budget brands, which have 10,000 rental locations in about 175 countries, directly operate those outlets in North America, Europe, and Australia and through licensees elsewhere.
