Audi of America hires Ogilvy as creative agency of record

Audi of America has hired Ogilvy as its creative agency of record, ending an eight-month review. 

Venables, Bell & Partners had held the account since 2007. The review began 10 months after Audi of America hired Tara Rush as its chief marketing officer. Rush was promoted from her previous role as chief communications officer.

Rush in a statement to Ad Age said: “With the launch of our global brand campaign, ‘Future is an Attitude,’ we are transforming and reshaping the perception of Audi in the U.S. We are thrilled to welcome Ogilvy as our new creative and strategic agency of record. Together, we will bring to life an innovative, purposeful and electric future—a story we look forward to sharing with our Audi fans and customers.”

The global campaign, which was announced in late 2020, plays into the brand’s aggressive electric vehicle goals. It also marks a shift to more centralization in Audi’s marketing, or as the automaker said in a 2020 statement, it “will unite worldwide marketing activities from now on, while taking account of cultural and country-specific requirements.”

Ogilvy already works for Audi in South Africa, China, and Germany. It will handle the U.S. account via its New York and Washington, D.C. offices. Audi of America is based in Herndon, Virginia. Other agencies pitching the business included Droga5, according to people familiar with the matter.

The win gives Ogilvy U.S. a coveted luxury car account and comes as the WPP-owned agency has made notable leadership hires of late. That includes late last year naming ​​Chris Beresford-Hill, former chief creative officer of Omnicom’s TBWA/Chiat/Day New York, as its president of advertising for North America. Beresford-Hill reports to Devika Bulchandani, Ogilvy's global president and North American CEO and Global Chief Creative Officer Liz Taylor, both of whom stepped into their posts last year.

“Audi’s ambition to use the power of creativity to not only move their brand forward but move the automotive industry forward is inspiring," Bulchandani said in a statement. "We’re honored to be working with a team that is curious about the ways Audi can impact the world and is committed to building a brand from the inside out that is meaningful, human, and inclusive.”  

Venables Bell & Partners dropped out of the review in the early stages, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Paul Venables, founder and chairman of agency Venables Bell & Partners, addressed the agency’s status with Audi late last year during a panel at Advertising Week. “Sometimes you have to look somebody in the eye and tell them we don’t think this is the right fit,” Venables said. He added that “the pendulum, in this case, has swung to centralization,” which the agency does not believe is “the right approach for that brand in this market at this time, and it’s not necessarily what we are good at.”

Audi declined to comment on the criticism.

Audi, owned by Volkswagen Group, spent $74 million on U.S. measured media in 2021, essentially flat from 2020, but down 30% from $106 million spent in 2019, according to Kantar.

The brand, like most automakers, has been plagued by supply chain issues caused by semiconductor shortages, COVID lockdowns, and more recently, the Russia-Ukraine war. Automotive News recently reported that Audi is pausing production of key models at one of its German factories. The supply situation has led some automakers to curtail some ad spending, mostly affecting regional, sales-event type marketing.