Up to $1 million could be lost as Lion Nathan pulls pin on Saatchi’s Hahn ad campaign starring Roger Moore due to be shot in Spain next week
SYDNEY – CB can reveal that a multi-million dollar advertising campaign, starring Roger Moore, for Lion Nathan’s Hahn brand, via Saatchi & Saatchi Sydney, which was due to be shot in Spain next week, has been canned, with cancellation fees estimated to be as much as A$1 million, according to a source close to the situation.
It is believed the shoot was cancelled once the decision was made to drop Saatchi’s from the Lion Nathan roster, news of which was reported first on the CB blog on Monday morning. The Hahn brand is now headed to Mojo, Sydney while Saatchi’s also lose Tooheys New to BMF.
From what CB can gather, the fully integrated multi-media campaign, which promised to be humorous, worked gangbusters in research and both the Hahn marketing people and agency are devastated.
[On Monday Lion Nathan marketing director Matt Tapper said about the decision to axe Saatchi & Saatchi and Host from the roster: “It has been a very tough decision to make. We value very strategic and integrated relationships with our agencies and having reviewed our roster we feel we can achieve more effective and sustainable partnerships with two lead creative agencies rather than four.
“Making these changes at any time is difficult, but we have taken the opportunity to do this now at the commencement of our new financial year to deliver a more consistent scope of work for our lead agencies,” continued Tapper. “We have great respect for the time we have shared with Saatchi & Saatchi and Host and the contribution they have made in building our brands. We thank them and wish them every success in the future.”]
Overnight, a Lion Nathan spokesperson has sent the following statement through to Campaign Brief: “Any agency change incurs some sunk costs related to work that may not progress, however reports of Lion Nathan incurring exorbitant costs are well wide of the mark.”
Moore is pictured by CB at La Colombe d’Or in St Paul de Vence back in June during the Cannes International Advertising Festival.
3 Comments
Fail
Now that has to hurt. Saatchi’s jewel in the crown being lost etc. I do like Matt Tapper though. Top chap
Had a $750 K bank ad canned by the bank boss once while agency and key crew were at the airport about to head south for the shoot. ( The trucks were already on location) The marketing director made the call to shoot anyway as they were up for 100% regardless. Never made it out of the can, but it was a fun few days, anyway. Not sure what the marketing guy does now.