DDB Sydney has won the competitive pitch for Virgin Australia that began in March.

In December last year, Virgin made an austerity move, bringing its creative in-house and contracting Michael Dole to work on the account, to save $300m by 2019. Its agencies had been Clemenger BBDO Sydney, Hulsbosch, Carat and Designteam.

In March, Virgin changed its mind. By May, three agencies remained in the pitch process, M&C Saatchi, TBWA Sydney and DDB Sydney. Clemenger BBDO Sydney had left in April.

Ultimately, DDB Sydney triumphed.

Innes Kingsmill, chief marketing officer, Virgin Australia, commented, “DDB was selected on the strength of a standout response to our brief, including its ability to capture the essence of the Virgin Australia brand and demonstrating they will be a strong partner ready to hit the ground running. The overall calibre of ideas and thinking presented during the process was world-class and we’d like to thank the other agencies involved for their time and creativity.”

Nicole Taylor, managing director, DDB Sydney, added, “We had a very inspiring brief from Virgin Australia and are excited to have created a famous idea that is emotionally charged and capable of impacting the full Virgin Australia experience, not just the advertising. It’s the right idea for the right time for Virgin Australia.

“DDB looks forward to an enduring and successful relationship with Innes and the Virgin Australia business.”