After an extensive yearlong review, the U.S. Navy has awarded a second consecutive five-year contract to WPP’s VMLY&R. The contract is valued at over $455 million which is similar to the previous contract which was valued at $457 million and given to Y&R prior to its merger with VML.
VMLY&R will continue acting as the the Navy’s creative agency of record, continuing to lead marketing and advertising communication services focused on recruitment and retention programs for the Naval Recruiting Command.
“The mission of Navy Recruiting Command (NRC) is to leverage an inspirational culture to inform, attract, influence and hire the highest quality future sailors from America's diverse talent pool,” NRC’s Commander Rear Admiral Dennis Velez said in a statement. “We look forward to continue working with our partners at VMLY&R and achieving success in this critical mission.”
The deal also includes a renewed partnership from the previous contract with WPP’s Wavemaker, which will handle paid media buying and planning capabilities, and independent marketing agency, Iostudio, which will support the Navy’s call center that prospective recruits call for information.