Approximately two months after adding Wieden+Kennedy to its roster in order to refresh its creative campaigns, Verizon has gone through another round of agency consolidation without a pitch.
This move concerns the company’s Sponsorship/Entertainment account, and the big winner is Momentum Worldwide.
A company spokesperson emphasized that the client’s (lengthy) agency roster remains “static” and refrained from naming any shops that will lose business in the consolidation. He did, however, confirm that Momentum will handle “most” of the Sponsorship/Entertainment work moving forward.
While Momentum will not be the only agency on the account, the client’s spokesperson could not or would not specify whether its future lineup would include mcgarrybowen, Erwin Penland, Wasserman Media Group, and Marketing Werks (all of which have worked on Verizon Sponsorship/Entertainment in the past).
A source notes that Diego Scotti, who became CMO of Verizon Communications last October, worked with Momentum in the mid-00’s while serving as VP of global advertising and brand management with American Express. This fact may have played a significant role in the client’s decision.
From Verizon PR:
“In this area, opportunities come up and require specialized skills and relationships, so the agencies coming in and out will be dynamic.”
This looks like bad news for everyone but Momentum.