
Brian Estes, managing director of DDB Indonesia, confirmed the news and said that BNI is a client that the agency has been wanting to work with for some time. "We look forward to partnering with them to build their financial services business moving forward."
BNI initially invited seven agencies to pitch for its account. The other agencies in the running were Grey, Euro RSCG, Octocom and Neo. Matari Advertising, which was invited to pitch, decided to withdraw.
The bank’s creative account is worth an estimated US$10 million and is currently split between Saatchi & Saatchi and Saatchi Lab. The agencies have been handling the account for the last two years.
The current review is part of a mandatory process that BNI conducts every two years.
In June BNI handed its media to MPG after a six-way pitch that involved incumbent ZenithOptimedia.
Initially referred to by the name of Bank Negara Indonesia when it was established in 1946, BNI was the first bank formed and owned by the Indonesian Government.