NEW YORK The Coca-Cola Co. said it has awarded the launch of the Dasani brand in Argentina to Interpublic Group’s McCann Erickson.
The shop’s Buenos Aires office won the account in a shootout with Publicis Groupe’s Fallon, a client representative said.
Sources said the review began in June with a total of four agencies. Coke roster shops WPP Group’s Red Cell and IPG’s Foote Cone & Belding were cut from an earlier round.
Billings on the account were undisclosed.
A Coke representative said that if successful in Argentina, McCann could handle Dasani throughout Latin America.
Various agencies handle the water brand throughout the world. Independent agency Anomaly in New York handles the U.S. account on which Coke spent $20 million in U.S. media in 2004 on the brand, per Nielsen Monitor-Plus, and about the same from January through June of 2005. Sources said its global spend on the brand could reach $30-40 million.
Coke would not comment on billings.
“We’re very excited about this assignment,” said Daniel Binns, worldwide account director on Coke for McCann Erickson Worldgroup. “The water business is a key part of Coke’s global future.”
McCann handles Coke Classic in various regions of the world.