GSD&M Idea Agency and BMW Part Ways After Five Years

GSD&M Idea City and BMW are ending their marketing relationship after 5 years. Just a few months after the death of BMW’s VP for marketing of North America Jack Pitney, BMW will also be ending the relationship with the marketing firm. Pitney was known to be an advocate for the shop, which will be held in charge of BMW’s global brand marketing until December 31, 2010. The contract between the two amounted to nearly $140 million. BMW has yet to make an official statement about the expiration of teh contract.

Reports say it that it was GSD&M Idea Agency’s decision to not renew the contract since “relationships are no longer strong with the marketing team, particularly in the wake of Mr. Pitney’s death; the agency wasn’t making enough money on the account; and there wasn’t an opportunity to do the kind of work the agency had hoped to undertake.”

No news of who will be replacing GSD&M Idea Agency has been announced yet, The other marketing agencies that BMW works with will continue including WPP’s Grey; Dotglu, an arm of MDC Partners’ Kirshenbaum Bond Senecal & Partners; and Interpublic Group of Cos.’ Universal McCann, which handles media duties.

GSD&M is and award winning creative firm that Mr. Pitney chose to for BMW in 2005, just two months after he assumed the post as VP for marketing. They were awarded the global marketing duties for BMW last year.

AdAge reports that “At the time of his death, Mr. Pitney oversaw marketing and product development for the BMW brand in the U.S., but was set to assume a new job as VP for BMW’s eastern region, the car maker’s largest U.S. sales zone. He was long viewed as the leading champion at BMW for GSD&M, having been close with the agency’s staffers.”

Earlier this year, Mr. Pitney proudly announced that “The ‘Joy’ campaign is a global campaign, and I’m proud to say our agency, GSD&M, pitched and won the global BMW business. This is the first time that BMW has had one agency on a global level.”

Source: AdAge