OCBC creative pitch down to final two in Singapore

Euro RSCG and an agency from within the McCann WorldGroup are believed to be in the final two, as the pitch reaches its last phase.

Euro RSCG is seen as having a strong heritage in the banking sector, having for many years handled DBS Bank. OCBC is believed to have existing connections within the McCann WorldGroup network of agencies.

Various agencies were known to be in talks with OCBC since the bank’s announcement that it was parting ways with its agency of five years Y&R.

“OCBC Bank is taking the bold step of starting afresh and will not be including Y&R in the pitch, as it searches for a new creative agency,” said a company statement issued 12 April 2011.

At the time, Koh Ching Ching, OCBC Bank’s head of corporate communications, said it is the company’s practice to regularly seek new perspectives for profiling the brand.

“We have been partnering with Y&R since January 2006 and the agency has played a significant role in raising the profile of our brand and marketing communications efforts.  We have had a fruitful relationship.”

Y&R remains as agency-of-record for Bank of Singapore, the January 2010-launched private banking subsidiary of OCBC Bank.

Added Koh, “Y & R has helped create a unique and differentiated brand position for Bank of Singapore that has won the endorsement of existing and new clients.  We believe that we will see more exciting developments as we continue to work together to raise the profile of this business.”

OCBC just launched new youth-skewed brand Frank with a campaign from Wild Advertising.