Optus say 'yes' to Accenture Song for creative account

The media account of Aussie telecomms provider Optus has made the move to tech-powered creative organisation Accenture Song, after 10 years with industry partner UM Australia.

Droga5, the creatives-driven agency of media organisation Accenture Song, has won the highly sought-after Optus media account, in the process casting aside the telecommunications provider’s former partners UM Australia, M+C Saatchi and Emotive.

UM Australia had unto this point held the creative contract with Optus for ten years, making the Accenture win something of a coup within the industry.

Creative advertising within Optus – the #2 telecomms provider in Australia, behind only Telstra, with over 11 million customers as of 2023 – will be handled by Droga5. Subsidiary division Accenture Song Media, which will handle Optus’s media strategy and buying operations, will be led by newly-appointed managing directors Sam Greer, Chris Colter and Melissa Fein.

The Aussie telecomms giant represents Accenture Song’s first major media client, which is speculated to spend in excess of $100 million on media billings, 60 percent of which are purported to be on digital media.

Months of industry speculation laid to rest

The win by Accenture Song follows months of uncertainty as to which creative agency would eventually land the highly lucrative contract. The three primary hopefuls were WPP Media’s Wavemaker, Accenture Song and the incumbent UM Australia.

Industry insiders were sceptical whether Accenture Song had the required purchasing power to realise the media plans of the heavyweight telecomms provider, with some commentators even suggesting they would need to partner with a more established media agency in order to land the major contract win.

Production agency BRX will remain the brand’s production partner, albeit now in a more expanded capacity, while Apparent has been newly brought aboard as a specialist B2B partner. The new appointment marks the first time that Optus has partnered with a dedicated B2B partner.

The fresh collective of creative media muscle, comprised of Accenture Song, BRX, Apparent and Droga5, has been set to deliver on this desired company vision from August of this year. The new creative suite is poised to support Optus’s upcoming brand campaign, a move intended to modernise the company’s image, particularly in light of its 2022 cyber attack.

“This is an exciting step for Optus,” says chief corporate affairs officer Felicity Ross, “as we look to accelerate our ability to execute with impact, yet efficiently and with a simplified approach.”

An environment of uncertainty and unnecessary pressure

Once the ink had dried on the new contract, CEO of outgoing Optus handler UM Australia, Anathea Ruys, voiced her disappointment.

“I am extremely proud of the work UM has delivered over the years,” Ruys said, “and the commitment my team has shown in supporting Optus through some of the most complex and high-profile moments in the brand’s history.”

While she wished Optus well in their new business operations, she took the opportunity to express her malcontent toward the level of industry speculation throughout the pitch process.

“This created an environment of uncertainty and unnecessary pressure,” she claimed, “not only for my team but for other stakeholders as well. Pitches are demanding at the best of times, but the intensity and scrutiny surrounding this one made it especially challenging and, at times, distressing for the team.”

In spite of the result, Ruys remains extremely proud of her team and emphasised UM Australia’s focus on delivering high-quality results for its client base and would “continue to build strong, future-focused partnerships.”