What you need to know:

• Optus is in the final stages of its procurement-led creative pitch, with Emotive, Clemenger BBDO, and Accenture Song's Droga5 understood to have made the shortlist. It remains unclear if M&C Saatchi is still in the mix.
• Expectations are that the telco will this month hand down a special project to one of those agencies, which will be taken as a signal of the frontrunner. 
• The creative pitch is part of a broader review process, with incumbent IPG Mediabrands' UM defending the media account against a shortlist that is rumoured to include GroupM's Wavemaker and Accenture Song's recently formed media operation, led by former senior execs at UM stablemate Initiative.
• The review coincides with the December appointment of Optus' new corporate affairs and marketing MD Felicity Ross, and is the first to be undertaken by the telco since the marketing function was led by former CMO Mel Hopkins. 
• Optus has confirmed an outcome is expected by June 2025, however Mi3 understands a preliminary decision will likely be made sooner, with winners of both the creative and media pitches expected to be put in front of the Singtel board in May. 
• It is thought that Optus may be looking to move away from its multi-agency village approach in favour of a more consolidated arrangement.

Optus looks set to thin out its creative roster for the first time in a decade, with the Singtel-owned telecommunications expected to appoint a lead creative agency by June – if not sooner.

Emotive, an incumbent on Optus' agency roster since 2014, is understood to have made the shortlist alongside the freshly merged Clemenger BBDO operation, and Accenture Song’s rebadged creative shop, Droga5. It's not clear whether M&C Saatchi remains in the mix – the agency has worked with Optus since 2003, though has seen its remit reduced since the telco moved to an agency village model in 2016.

Executives with knowledge of the process told Mi3 the telco is set to hand down a special project to one creative agency candidate this month, which will be read as a strong signal of the frontrunner.

The creative account has been pitching alongside media for several months as part of a routine procurement-led process said to be undertaken by Optus every three years.

Optus is expected make its pick in May but will have to take both the creative and media appointments to the Singtel board in Singapore, which could push out a final decision to June. That's the timeline the telco is working to – per a company spokesperson: “We're in a procurement led process with an expected outcome by June 2025.” 

New direction?

The pitch marks the company’s first known agency review since the 2022 data breach that ultimately saw the exit of former CEO Kelly Bayer Rosmarin.  

The leadership of the marketing function has since undergone multiple iterations, and as of December, sits with ex-NBN Co corporate affairs leader Felicity Ross in a rejigged remit as managing director of corporate affairs and marketing.

Optus last month confirmed Ross’ direct reports would include head of consumer marketing, Cam Luby, senior director of marketing for business and enterprise, Alexandra Sloane, and senior director of media, operations and performance, Lauren Dawber.  

Some suggest the telco might be looking to adopt a more consolidated creative services arrangement, moving from the creative collective model established under Hopkins and predecessor Vicki Brady. As of 2019, that collective consisted of TBWA Sydney, Emotive, Big Red, M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment, M&C Saatchi experience design unit Re, and the Optus in-house creative team, Yes Agency.

Emotive appears to have taken a growing share of the workload, leading Optus' recent major consumer and small business campaigns, as well as handling creative development for the brand's latest Mardi Gras parade float.

IPG Mediabrands’ UM has been the incumbent on media side since 2016 and successfully defended the account – previously valued at $40 million – in 2019.

While the market gave mixed signals on the media shortlist, it is understood UM is up against Wavemaker and Accenture Song’s newly formed media unit under former Initiative leaders Mel Fein, Sam Gear and Chris Colter.

Accenture Song is likely to be pitching its ability to take on both creative and media and rivals likely pointing to its media operation still being built – though the firm has previously dismissed such claims.