CommBank taps Monkeys, Accenture Interactive for brand and digital projects
CommBank's CAN platform by M&C Saatchi. But The Monkeys and Accenture now have a dog in the fight.
CommBank has briefed both The Monkeys and parent firm Accenture Interactive for project work, Mi3 understands. M&C remains brand agency of record though it is unclear whether the bank plans to develop a roster arrangement.
What you need to know:
- The Monkeys and Accenture Interactive tasked with brand and broader digital work by CommBank.
- The two working on creative and digital transformation at NZ sister bank ASB.
- M&C Saatchi remains creative agency of record. Unknown whether CommBank plans to move to roster arrangement.
CommBank has tasked The Monkeys and parent Accenture Interactive with project work, with both handed briefs.
M&C Saatchi is CommBank’s long-standing creative partner. It is not yet clear whether CBA intends to implement a roster arrangement to complement its agency of record.
The move follows a shake-up of agency partners across Australia’s major banks. NAB recently appointed TBWA, ahead of The Monkeys which also pitched for the former Clemenger-held business, with that review coming after ANZ opted for Special Group, ending its relationship with TBWA.
Meanwhile Westpac has a new marketer at the helm but has significant broader challenges as it aims to strip out billions of dollars in cost from the business.
CommBank also has a new chief marketer, with Jo Boundy set to join in March after 12 years at Qantas after Monique Macleod was promoted to Group Executive Marketing and Corporate Affairs last August.
Another CBA relationship is with Media.Monks, which has overseen technical work to enable CommBank to plug into the full Google ad stack to drive personalisation and better customer targeting outside its own digital walls.
CommBank's diversification comes as it posted record first half post-tax profits of $4.75bn. The bank said it now has 6.6 million app users and 9 million daily log-ins.
CBA also updated investors on its bid to build a walled garden of adjacent services as it invests in, acquires or builds out businesses across retail, energy and telco as well as financial services while powering deeper into AI to predict what customers will want next.
Asked to confirm The Monkeys and Accenture had been briefed, and whether it is moving towards a creative roster arrangement, CommBank gave little away.
“We work with a variety of marketing partners and suppliers but M&C remain our primary partner,” said a spokesperson.
The Monkeys, Accenture and M&C Saatchi all declined to comment.
