The Icon Agency has won the integrated account for energy management vendor Schneider Electric Australia. 

Mumbrella reported that the account work officially begins this month, covering PR, business communications, strategic advice, thought leadership, media training, and content services for Schneider’s entire brand portfolio.

“Globally, Schneider Electric operates at the leading-edge of energy automation and efficiency. As an agency committed to sustainable futures, we’re excited to help Schneider Electric re-imagine its public relations for the new decade,” said Icon Agency managing director Joanne Painter.

Wunderman Thompson joined forces with RAC to build a new child safety campaign in WA.

The campaign involves changing the white lines in a parking lot’s space into so-called Key Lines – aluminium decals with images of keys and the line “Keep your Keys on You.” It will remind people to be aware of children or valuables they might be leaving behind in the vehicle they just parked, especially in shopping centre parking lots. Wunderman Thompson will also have a multimedia campaign to support the message.

RAC officer Ray Farrugia said the campaign was borne out of several years’ experience in covering cases where children were accidentally left behind in the car in the middle of a sunny day, and many vehicles have been built with smart security systems such as autolock. 

"On a typical Australian summer day, the temperature inside a parked car can be 20 to 30 degrees hotter than the outside temperature,” he said.

“RAC has always made it

RED Havas is now the official PR agency of record for chocolate brand KitKat (pictured) and Allen’s.

The new deal covers storytelling-based PR, influencer, and brand experience duties, including new product launches for 2020. RED Havas’ remit for Allen’s will also include campaigns to attract more sweets enthusiasts to one of Australia’s iconic chocolates.

RED Havas was one of several agencies that joined Nestle Australia’s pitch. Incumbent PR agency of record History Will Be Kind opted to move on from the account after several years.   

“Nestlé Confectionery is home to some of Australia’s most well-loved brands so we’re excited to partner up and increase the impact both Kit Kat and Allen’s have on today’s popular culture. We believe the Holy Grail is to be a meaningful brand and that data-driven insights and creativity lie at the heart of achieving that mission. Watch this space for some uniquely shar

Some of the Horizon Communications Group’s existing clients have tapped it for work on the sustainability front while landing a new one along the way.

On the current clients front, Horizon was assigned by the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation to build and execute a new behaviour change communication strategy for the Australasian Recycling Label and a new communication strategy for the ANZPAC Plastic Pact.

Designed for launching in late 2020, the Pact is a five-year accord between Australia, New Zealand, and Pacific island-nations to eliminate single-use plastics and to develop new standards for sustainable plastic materials.

For Planet Ark, Horizon will handle its national campaigns for the third-straight year, such as the National Tree Day and National Recycling Week.

Horizon will also continue communication duties for the NSW Environmental Protection Agency’s Love Food Hate Waste initiative. 

The new client duties come off the heels of Horizon winning t

Sunita Gloster has exited the WPP organisation as its chief customer officer. 

She joined the company in January 2019, having spent a year at PwC Australia. No successors have been appointed.

WPP AUNZ CEO Jens Moonsees said Gloster’s exit was a mutual decision.

“On behalf of everyone at WPP AUNZ, we thank Sunita for her contribution and wish her the very best for the future,” Moonsees said.

PR agency Edelman Australia has won the account for Mars Australia.

The new deal will cover services such as reputation and crisis management, content marketing, creative development and production, and corporate communications.

“This new alliance combines the full range of Edelman Australia’s integrated communication services, and is the perfect synergy with both partners independent family owned companies, who are able to use their freedom to invest in the long term future of their people, businesses and the communities in which they operate,” read an official statement from Mars Australia.

VMLY&R’s Melbourne office has enlisted former McCann employee Dan Brown into the brand strategy department, as a senior strategist.

He will be in charge of brand strategy for lead client Defence Force Recruiting and clients such as AusPost, the Department of Transport, and Vocus.

“As soon as you speak to the team here you can sense that they’re onto a good thing. They’re also bloody lovely too. I’m thrilled to be joining a diverse and incredibly talented team, and can’t wait to get stuck into the business end of things,” said Brown.

Brown’s entry firms up a year-long effort to build up VMLY&R’s strategy service. Ken Chan is already in as strategy director, complemented by senior digital strategist Josh Swingler, business analyst Amy Dromgoole, data analyst Anup Bale, and strategist Lauren Isaak.