Infiniti taps Crispin Porter + Bogusky for global creative

Infiniti has named Crispin Porter + Bogusky as its global creative advertising agency of record, a new arrangement that kicks in with immediate effect.“Crispin Porter + Bogusky has a demonstrated ability launching and nurturing brands and is an excellent match for our mission: elevating Infiniti to be a global premium brand,” Vincent Gillet, Infiniti Vice President, Global Marketing, said in a press statement. “Their strength in leveraging multiple communications channels made them the obvious choice as our marketing partner, and we look forward to their fresh thinking as we continue growing Infiniti’s stature.” The Infiniti account will be based out of Crispin Porter + Bogusky’s Boulder, Colorado, USA office, where strategic plans and creative work will be developed. Regional offices for the agency will be established around the globe to service key regional Infiniti markets, including China, Europe and North America. The announcement is the latest milestone in the renaissance of the Infiniti brand, which began in 2012 with the establishment of the automaker’s global headquarters in Hong Kong and a growth plan based upon automobiles designed for a new generation of young-minded premium customers. The Infiniti Q50 sports sedan, launched one year ago, was the first model in the company’s product offensive, and next up is the Q30, Infiniti’s premium compact entry that will be built in Europe and is due to be launched in 2015.“Infiniti has a clearly identified product strategy to take the brand into the next decade, and we look forward to being a part of this journey,” said Steve Erich, President, Crispin Porter + Bogusky. “With Infiniti’s reputation for advanced technologies, exceptional craftsmanship and emotive designs, our role will be to build on those strengths.” The search was led by Roth Observatory, a global agency search firm based New York.Infiniti, which has sales operations in around 50 countries, sold a record 146,000 new vehicles around the world in the first nine months of 2014, up more than 20 percent. Over the next five years, the company plans to expand its product portfolio by 60% and significantly increase its global manufacturing footprint.Source: press release