Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Holidays appoint first joint creative agency

Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Holidays have appointed their first joint creative agency.

AMV BBDO has been tasked with developing complementary marketing strategies for each brand.

The decision to consolidate creative work under one agency “stems from a desire to improve marketing efficiencies and deliver greater synergy and cohesion between the two brand strategies,” a statement said.

AMV BBDO has been appointed after a closed agency pitch against incumbent Virgin Atlantic agency Adam & Eve.

The international roster of agencies that support Virgin Atlantic, such as Figliulo & Partners in New York, are not impacted and its contract has been extended for three years.

AMV BBDO will have a joint reporting line to the airline’s marketing senior vice president Claire Cronin and the tour operator’s new marketing and customer experience vice president Amber Kirby, who joined from Boots Walgreen Alliance last week.

AMV BBDO will launch a new creative platform for Virgin Atlantic, following the decision to retire ‘Let It Fly’ – and to extend the current ‘Seize the Holiday’ platform for Virgin Holidays.

The airline has bolstered its in-house creative department with the appointment of Michael Stephens who previously held the role of global deputy head of creative at fashion firm Ted Baker.

He will work alongside AMV BBDO to develop a refreshed creative direction for the airline.

The carrier is also looking to fill four new creative roles including:

• Creative and design manager – Responsible for managing a team of designers and art-directors • Senior digital designer – Specialism in motion graphics and animation • Creative content producer – An in-house videographer, photographer and editor • Creative and design intern – A twelve-month placement, with applications from students or graduates welcome

Cronin said: “Aligning our creative work under a single award-winning agency will help us ensure we deliver more complementary marketing strategies that continue to grow each individual brand – and the creativity and enthusiasm from AMV BBDO knocked it out of the park for us.

“Adam & Eve has been a phenomenal agency partner, who we cannot recommend highly enough, and we would like to thank them for the incredible work they’ve delivered over the previous four years.”

Amber Kirby said: “Virgin Holidays has an award-winning comms platform with ‘Seize The Holiday’ – and I’m really excited to see how this will evolve over the next few years, whilst remaining distinctive and individual from Virgin Atlantic.”

AMV BBDO managing director Justin Pahl said: “Adding the super prestigious Virgin Atlantic to our roster is a spectacular win and we are extremely proud to be working with such an exciting brand.

“But of course we are just as delighted to continue working with our superb clients at Virgin Holidays. We can’t wait to get started making some exciting work full of Virgin spirit.”

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