Vodafone appoints Howatson+Company as creative agency of record

Vodafone Australia has appointed Howatson+Company as its creative agency of record, concluding a pitch run by Trinity P3 and TPG Telecom's procurement team.

The win marks another major account for the independent agency, which beat out fellow indie shops for the business. Publicis Groupe’s Saatchi & Saatchi was the incumbent.

Rebecca Darley, who joined Vodafone as chief marketing officer in October after a stint leading marketing at Domain, said the brand was drawn to Howatson+Company’s “bold thinking, cultural alignment and creative firepower”.

“Vodafone is a brand that thrives on challenging conventions, and we’re excited to partner with Chris and the H+Co team to push boundaries,” Darley said. She also thanked Saatchi & Saatchi for its “commitment and creativity over recent years.”

Chris Howatson, founder and CEO of the agency, called the appointment both personal and professional. “Vodafone was my first carrier. Professionally, Vodafone is one of the top 100 most valuable global brands and is on a growth gradient here in Australia,” he said. “It’s a privilege to partner with Bec, Lisa Cronin [head of brand and marketing], and their teams.”

The appointment comes as telcos continue to shake up agency arrangements. Optus last month appointed Droga5, Accenture Song, BRX, and Apparent across creative, media and production. The reviews follow a surge in creative output from market leader Telstra, which tapped bespoke model +61 under CMO Brent Smart and has since produced a string of award-winning campaigns, including a Grand Prix at Cannes in June.

The Vodafone win extends a strong run for Howatson+Company, which recently picked up Myer’s consolidated creative and production account, the AFR business, and launched AI-powered production arm Plus Also Studios. This week, Lilian Sor officially joined as chief strategy officer, with recent hires including executive strategy director Katharina Wynne and creative directors Letizia Bozzolini and Justin Butler.