AXA consolidates regional media account to MPG

The win came after a competitive pitch, which also included incumbent agency OMD.

Currently AXA is working with three media agencies: MPG for the Indonesia market, Madison for the India market, and OMD, which handles media in all other markets in the region. It is not yet clear when the consolidation under MPG will take place, but it is understood the agencies were informed of the client decision on 12 December.

AXA appointed OMD as media agency-of-record after a prolonged pitch process in May last year. But even then, ot was rumoured that the client would align its business in Asia with MPG.

The consolidation in Asia follows its business operation in UK in 2007, when AXA UK appointed a single media buying agency Havas Media UK, forgoing multiple agencies, in order to create greater efficiency across the business.

AXA UK appointed Havas Media UK to manage its media buying for all its brands in the UK including Sun Life Direct and Swiftcover from 1 January 2010.

Reported in October, AXA Direct, a subsidiary of Kyobo AXA, has is also undertaking a pitch for its creative account in Korea, believed to be worth around US$15 million. Welcomm Publicis and Grape Communications are understood to be competing for the account, with incumbent TBWA having dropped out of the process.

Earlier this year, Xavier Blanchard, previously group officer and innovation director at AXA in Paris, was appointed regional chief marketing officer for AXA Asia Life, succeeding Anthony Shaw who has since returned to Australia with his family.

AXA Asia Pacific Holdings is responsible for the Global AXA Group's life insurance and wealth management businesses in the Asia-Pacific region. It has operations in Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, India, Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand.