Apple’s Entire Advertising Account Up for Grabs as Rumours Point to TBWA Departure

Despite their long and fruitful relationship, Apple and ad agency TBWA /Media Arts Lab will apparently part ways, according to the New York Post. The ad agency was behind Apple’s iconic “1984” Super Bowl spot and “Think Different” campaign.

Apple ad campaign

Although 30 years seems like a lifetime, especially in the ad business, it doesn’t necessarily mean a lifetime: Apple is said to be ready to put its entire account up for grabs.

Moreover, Apple is said to be betting on its freshly acquired talent, Jimmy Iovine, to bring fresh blood to its marketing machinery. It’s noteworthy that Beats “outmanoeuvred” the official World Cup sponsor, Sony, with its “Game Before the Game” campaign, as it featured “too many” soccer stars.”

What’s more, the industry is buzzing that Apple will look to music maestro Jimmy Iovine, the boss of newly acquired Beats headphones and its sister music-streaming service, to help it regain its marketing mojo.

[…] “Apple bought Beats for a lot of reasons,” said one new business executive at a top agency. “They think they’re marketing geniuses. It is safe to assume Beats would be part of an assessment of all [Apple] partners.”

Although the Apple and TBWA separation isn’t official yet, they say it can’t come soon enough. In fact, Ad Age has reported that Apple wants to increase its in-house creative team to 1,000 people, and this team will “compete” against the ad agency Apple is working with to increase efficiency.

Apple has been considering parting ways with TBWA for quite some time now, but the issue captured the media’s attention last year during the Samsung vs. Apple patent trial, when an email signed by Phil Schiller revealed the tensions between the ad agency and the iPhone maker.

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