Newell Rubbermaid Appoints Lead Creative and Media Agencies to Drive More Impactful Global Marketing

ATLANTA, Oct. 3, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Newell Rubbermaid (NYSE: NWL) today announced a significant step in making bigger, more strategic, global investments behind its brands with the consolidation of scores of local agencies worldwide into one lead creative partner and one lead media-buying partner.  The two agencies will help oversee Newell Rubbermaid's global advertising and promotion investment.

Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH) has been selected as lead creative agency, which will have full responsibility to deliver strategy, creative execution and implementation (excluding media) in all brand-related communication channels. Part of the Publicis Groupe, BBH was named 2013 "Mid-Sized Agency of the Year" by the O'Toole Awards and is one of the most awarded advertising agencies in the world. BBH works with leading brands including Johnnie Walker, British Airways, KFC, Audi, Barclays Bank, Westin Hotels & Resorts, and Axe. The global assignment will be led by BBH New York, supported by the entire BBH global agency network including offices in London, Sao Paulo and Shanghai.

PHD has been selected as lead media agency, which will help with overall strategic communication planning and be responsible for all media placements across all channels. Originally founded as the world's first planning-led media agency, PHD, part of the Omnicom Media Group, was named Adweek's "Global Media Agency of the Year" in 2012 and is a proven innovator in communications planning and buying. PHD's clients include Mondelez, Porsche, Bentley, ANZ, GlaxoSmithKline, Hyatt and Canon. 

"For the first time, we are aligning all our brands and categories behind one set of agency partners to drive big ideas that create a strong point of difference for consumers," said Richard Davies, Chief Marketing and Insights Officer of Newell Rubbermaid.  "BBH and PHD are the best in the business at what they do.  With their partnership, we now have the power to achieve much greater scale, reach and impact as we invest behind growing our brands worldwide."

"Our ambition is to push the limits of what's possible for our brands," said Mark Tarchetti, Newell Rubbermaid's Chief Development Officer.  "The Growth Game Plan strategy promises to accelerate growth through sharper portfolio choices and new capabilities. Our progress is becoming an increasing reality in important steps like a new state of the art design center that will open next year, investments in e-commerce and innovation, and the appointment of global creative and media agencies.  These moves allow us to step-change quality while taking all the efficiencies that come with scale.  Our momentum is increasingly visible in the marketplace as we make new A&P investments that are unprecedented in Newell Rubbermaid's history, and build an even stronger 2014 plan."

The new agency relationships are effective Oct. 1, with transition work beginning immediately to ensure integrated teams are fully operational by the beginning of the year. 

About Newell Rubbermaid   
Newell Rubbermaid Inc., an S&P 500 company, is a global marketer of consumer and commercial products with 2012 sales of approximately $5.6 billion and a strong portfolio of leading brands, including Sharpie®, Paper Mate®, Rubbermaid Commercial Products®, Irwin®, Lenox®, Parker®, Waterman®, Rubbermaid®, Levolor®, Calphalon®, Goody®, Graco®, Aprica® and Dymo®. As part of the company's Growth Game Plan, Newell Rubbermaid is making sharper portfolio choices and investing in new marketing and innovation to accelerate performance.

This press release and additional information about Newell Rubbermaid are available on the company's Web site, www.newellrubbermaid.com.

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SOURCE Newell Rubbermaid