Mother is shifting from a supporting to leading player on Burger King's roster of creative agencies.
The New York shop has become lead agency on the BK brand, which last year spent nearly $240 million in media, according to Nielsen.
The shift comes after a lengthy review, which pitted insiders like Mother, mcgarrybowen and David against outsiders like McCann Erickson and Grey. The process included the testing of creative concepts.
BK confirmed that it had expanded its relationship with Mother, which first joined the company's creative roster in December 2011.
"The agency presented ... finely-honed original and innovative concepts that resonated with all of our audiences and has emerged as the one best-suited to take the brand to the next level," said Flavia Faugeres, BK's global chief marketing officer.
Mcgarrybowen was BK's last lead agency, back in 2011. The New York shop won the business in June 2011 after a high-profile pitch. The other finalists then were McCann, Saatchi & Saatchi and a WPP Group team led by CHI & Partners.
Two months later, mcgarrybowen launched its first work, a 30-second TV ad that lavishly filmed the ingredients that make up a California Whopper. The ad did not have a tagline.
Subsequently, other shops, including Mother, David and Pitch, produced campaigns that introduced new offerings like fruit smoothies. In short, after tying the knot with mcgarrybowen, BK decided to play the field, with each assignment becoming a competition among roster shops.
Now, with Mother at the center, BK has changed how it works with agencies once again. Mcgarrybowen is out, and while Pitch and David remain, Mother will lead the charge.
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