The pitch was held in January and included incumbent Ideata, a local agency, and DDB. A senior agency source close to the review described the appointment as a surprise, given Ideata's experience with the brand. Ideata has held the account for more than four years.
The move follows the break-up of Ideata with TBWA last summer. Louis Kuo, the former head of the operation, subsequently established Compass, which he referred to as Tequila Compass.
A spokesperson for TBWA explained that Compass has no official relationship with TBWA, although the agencies work together on certain global accounts. The spokesperson also stressed that TBWA did not take part in the pitch. TBWA is the long-term agency-of-record for Nissan.