OMD savours its Savola win

After awarding the media task for its sugar brands in 2005 to the Saudi office of the OmnicomMediaGroup-owned network, Savola recently added its edible oil brands, which include Afia, Al-Arabi, O'lite and Shams.

In 2005, Savola invested over $10 million on its oil and sugar brands, according to monitoring figures, in both Saudi and pan-Arab media.

"After six years with our previous agency, we felt it was time to see if we could improve the way we communicated in media," said Marwan Zawawi, head of marketing at Savola Edible Oil Co. "During the pitching process, OMD clearly demonstrated their ability to capitalize on insights and, with a strong dose of imagination, provide us with a substantial return on our media investments."

"Savola, a household name in the Kingdom and the region, is a fabulous addition to our portfolio in Saudi Arabia," said Elie Khouri, regional managing director of OmnicomMediaGroup, the holding company of both OMD and PHD. "We're very proud of our team there since this extension of our assignment from Savola is an obvious validation of the work they've been doing on United Sugar Company brands."

"OMD has managed to win our confidence over the year we have been working together," added Walid Awad, Marketing Director of the sugar division. "Their ability to deliver on our requirements on time and yet exceed our expectations was a major and decisive factor in consolidating Savola's media account with OMD."

"The team surpassed themselves, both on the account and the pitch," commented Choucrallah Abou Samra, general manager of OMD Arabia. "We're very proud to have been entrusted with more of Savola's exciting brands and inject more of our passion into their business."

The appointment is effective February 2006.