BBDO is one of the last legacy agencies still standing and has continued to win creative awards, especially through standout offices such as AlmapBBDO in Brazil. However, in recent years it has felt like the agency— known for iconic work such as Snickers’ “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry” and Burger King’s “Have it Your Way” jingle—wasn’t putting out the level of work that made it famous.
Since starting their respective roles last year, Reyes and Beresford-Hill spent time learning more about BBDO. The two found that the shop was approaching work in a “safe” way, Reyes said in a February interview.
To combat that and what Beresford-Hill said is a growing “insecurity” among creative agencies in the industry, the two recently launched a new global repositioning.
“It feels like advertising ... has tried to invent new products or redefine what we do, or invent capabilities that are not really in our core competency,” Beresford-Hill said. “The safety to do the best thing possible is going to be our competitive advantage. The insecurity is the opportunity. Our belief is when the pressure is on if we swing bigger, that's how we're going to break through.”
Are these moves enough for BBDO to reclaim its renowned status? Last year certainly had signs that BBDO could be on its way.
Last year, the agency secured more than 200 new business wins, including Amazon, LIV Golf, Genentech and Mercedes F1. It also rejoined Pepsi's roster, renewing a relationship from which it split in 2016. Before that, Pepsi and BBDO worked together for 48 years. BBDO also won multiple global agency-of-record brands within Kenvue’s portfolio.
The creative was also strong, as evidenced by Pedigree’s AI-powered “Adoptable” out-of-home ads for shelter dogs.