SYDNEY: BlueScope Steel has appointed Ikon Communications to its consolidated media buying account, but is freezing its ad spend for 2010 until a budget review next year.
The agency scooped the account following a competitive pitch as first revealed by AdNews in March, [12 March, page 5].
Ikon won the business following a four-way tussle involving Bellamyhayden, Mindshare and incumbent Initiative, which had held the account for more than 10 years.
The creative accounts, split between Carlon Leong for building products and STW’s IM for corporate, are unaffected by the appointment.
Ikon will handle media duties for the BlueScope corporate brand as well as the company’s range of building market brands, including Colorbond, Zincalume and Truecore steels.
BlueScope Steel spent $2.9 million on main media in the year to November 2009, down from $10.2 million in the previous corresponding period, according to Nielsen. Corporate brand activity suffered the biggest slash in ad spend, falling from $5.9 million in 2008 to $300,000 in 2009, while the Colorbond Building Products division almost halved its spend.
BlueScope corporate is currently running an outdoor campaign highlighting its involvement with the Australia pavilion at the World Expo in Shanghai.
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