✖

Dentsu Aegis wins Subway

By Josh Kolm
December 12, 2017

After launching a review of its agency partners in July, Subway has selected Dentsu Aegis Network to lead creative and media in a North America-wide assignment that will involve talent from agency offices in Canada and the U.S.

The customized team, dubbed “The Franchise @ Dentsu Aegis Network North America,” will be comprised of talent from DentsuBos and Carat in Toronto and Montreal, as well as Mcgarrybowen and Carat in New York.

Dentsu Aegis has been tasked with leading Subway’s business transformation and strategy “to drive efficiency and effectiveness across all channels” in the region.

In Canada, Subway had already been working with Carat on media for more than 10 years, though it previously worked with Sid Lee on creative after naming the shop AOR in 2015. In the U.S., agency MMB had been handling creative since it parted with previous agency of record BBDO New York last October, with MediaCom handling its media since 2000.

“This is a pivotal time for Subway as we are accelerating our transition to becoming a modern marketing organization,” said Karlin Linhardt, SVP of marketing for North America at Subway, in a press release. “We selected Dentsu Aegis because it is a data-driven organization with the resources, strategic vision and creativity needed to drive consistent value for our customers and our franchisees across all channels.”

Subway noted in a release that it was the first time in 25 years it had consolidated its creative and media accounts across Canada and the U.S. Aside from driving efficiency, the new assignment also aligns with the mandate of its new marketer: Lindhardt joined Subway in April in a new role that encompassed the QSR’s marketing in the U.S. and Canada. He had previously been a senior consultant at Accenture, where he worked with Subway on digital initiatives.

The new assignment will commence in early 2018. The culmination of the review will not impact the assignments of local or specialized agencies. Subway most recently worked Simon Pure on promotional activities and Veritas on PR in Canada.