“Vietnam Airlines is a marquee account in Vietnam and is huge for this market,” said one local source close to the pitch. The media billing is worth about US$15 million.
Ogilvy & Mather Vietnam is the current creative agency for Vietnam Airlines. It won the account in 2008, with the initial expectation of only two years.
Ogilvy and New York-based agency The Colony completed a new Vietnam Airlines spot titled 'Lotus' last year. The commercial unfolds as a vivid travelogue of international cities with the re-occurring image of the lotus blossom, Vietnam Airlines' logo.
Mindshare is the current media partner with Ogivly & Mather.
“It is quite shocking that the client is calling this pitch, as they are quite happy with Ogilvy’s campaign," the source said, noting that this could be a common problem in the Vietnam market. "They call a pitch for the sake of calling a pitch, which causes frustration to agencies.”
In June 2010, Vietnam Airlines officially joined Sky Team, the world’s second largest global airline alliance, affirming the carrier’s new position on the global aviation map.