Earlier this month, we reported that Twitter had no upcoming projects scheduled with TBWA\Chiat\Day L.A. and that the client and agency had effectively ended their somewhat brief relationship.
A source within the Twitter organization has now confirmed that the social network recently issued an RFP to several unnamed agencies. The RFP closed several days ago, the competing agencies have been chosen and the formal review has begun.
Jack Dorsey’s company first sought an agency partner late last year as part of a campaign promoting “Moments,” its latest attempt to increase user engagement in the interest of more effectively monetizing the service. Business Insider broke the news that TBWA had won the pitch, though no one officially confirmed this fact. Twitter also partnered with U.K.-based agency Lucky Generals last year according to our overseas contacts, but the agency does not appear to have created a full campaign for the company.
As noted in the BI post, TBWA was not officially named Twitter’s agency of record. We have heard from multiple sources that the shop won project-based work, and it is not clear at this time whether the current review concerns more of the same. Earlier this month an agency spokesperson said that Twitter remained one of TBWA’s clients, but that no longer appears to be the case.
The first campaign from TBWA launched last October, and it tied the new “Moments” feature to the Major League Baseball World Series. Approximately two months after that campaign went live, the agency parted ways with the creative director who led the Twitter account.
At this time, we do not know how many agencies are participating or which shops those might be. We have reached out to contacts at Twitter and TBWA but have yet to receive a response.
On an unrelated note, Dorsey and other parties also provided funding for the launch of San Francisco-based design/consulting firm West several years ago. After we posted on the arrival of new managing partner Joanna Rees, a PR contact from Dorsey’s other company, Square, reached out to clarify that he is no longer directly involved with the West organization.