German advertising agency Mutabor leaves Audi for BMW

Hamburg-based design agency Mutabor announces their separation from Audi and moving over its creative team to brainstorm for BMW. After seven years working for VW subsidiary Audi, the ad shop will begin working with BMW to launch the upcoming new-sub brand. At Audi, Mutabor was responsible for the Audi A1 campaign and their works was highly appreciated by many.
Handelsblatt.de via BimmerToday reports that Mutabor will be working with BMW on promoting the vehicles coming out of the Project i program, as BMW calls them, mobility of the future.
The first vehicle expected to launch of the program is the longtime hyped Megacity built in Leipzig and due out in 2013.
The advertising task is quite challenging for the Hamburg-based ad shop since with the new electric vehicles and sub-brand, BMW is looking to attract a new demographic, unknown to the company. Entering new niches or opening new segments can be a quite difficult task and the traditional methods of advertising might need to be revamped.

Mutabor comes to fill in a gap left by the upcoming separation from BMW’s worldwide ad agency, GSD&M IdeaCity. Recently, Interone, another ad agency announced a new contract with BMW for the upcoming F30 3 Series.
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Steve - 11/29/2010 5:17:29 PM

0 Boost

Some may interpret this as Mutabor having lack of confidence in their client, Audi, and wanting a more successful client, BMW. Another interpretation is that BMW felt its current ad company was not doing a good job, and sought out someone they felt who did: Audi's guys, Mutabor.

I'm just offering two perspectives. Somehow, I get the feeling some readers will get pissy about me daring to offer an opinion that differs from theirs.

AgentOrange - 11/29/2010 6:03:48 PM

+2 Boost

We won't know til we read the Wikileaks transcripts of the negotiations.

B7FAN - 11/29/2010 7:19:14 PM

+1 Boost

old news......ho hum

MBCLS07 - 11/29/2010 7:25:42 PM

+1 Boost

This type of move by an ad agency is actually fairly common. If you recall, Crispin Porter dropped Mini as a client after a highly successful relationship to take on VW as a client. (of course, VW didn't stick around too long) From a creative standpoint, such a move offers fresh opportunities and challenges. From a business standpoint, it's easier to build year-to-year gains in metrics like brand awareness or consideration, for example, when you're being compared to another agency's poor record rather than your own success from the previous year.