The US Army has retained McCann Worldgroup as its agency responsible for a full range of advertising and marketing services including direct marketing. The agency’s new contact will begin April 7, said Dan Elkins, deputy for public affairs at the Army’s Mission and Installation Contracting Command.
McCann will provide a full-range of general advertising, public affairs support and direct marketing to support personnel acquisition and retention programs for the Army, including a continuation of the “Army Strong” theme, added Susan Irwin, worldwide communications director at McCann Worldgroup.
Elkin noted that the overall goal of the project is recruiting.
McCann won the contract after an RFP process that took place last August, said Elkins. The new contract is worth $184 million to $200 million annually, depending on the number of projects awarded by the Army, said Elkins. This budget includes media buying. The contract will span one year with four one-year option periods. Grey and Y&R also pitched for the account, according to agency sources. Other agencies listed as “interested vendors” to the original RFI, such as Harte-Hanks and PR firm Edelman, said they did not take part in the pitch.
McCann has handled the Army’s advertising since 2005. Its US Army team will be comprised of about 300 people from the following seven companies: McCann Erickson; relationship marketing agency MRM Worldwide; media agency Universal McCann; branding and recruitment shop NAS Recruitment Communications; Momentum; PR agency Weber Shandwick; and Hispanic shop Casanova Pendrill.
An MRM representative did not immediately respond to calls seeking comment about the direct marketing portions of the account.
Independent companies Carol H. Williams Advertising, Gravity Media, Proof Advertising, and Sensis will also work on the account.
“We are thrilled and deeply honored to have been reappointed as the integrated marketing communications agency for the US Army,” said Nick Brien, CEO of McCann Worldgroup, in a statement. “We are extraordinarily proud of introducing and advancing the ‘Army Strong’ campaign platform.”
