McCann Erickson and fellow Interpublic Group shop UM have won Office Depot’s creative and media accounts, respectively, after a review that began in the summer.
The search, which was managed by Pile + Co., followed Office Depot’s merger with OfficeMax late last year. The review included four other finalists, including Kirshenbaum Bond Senecal + Partners and Zimmerman Advertising, the incumbent on OfficeDepot’s creative and media efforts.
Before the merger, OfficeMax employed creative agencies on a project basis. That brand’s last media agency was The Escape Pod, which handled the business from 2007 until March 2014, subcontracting broadcast media buying to Time & Space Media from 2009 until 2012.
Collectively, the two brands spent $105 million in media last year, with the bulk of those dollars—$70 million—going to Office Depot, according to Kantar Media.
As part of the merger, the company plans to close 400 stores by the end of 2016 because of location overlap between the two brands. The company also hired a North American president in July: Mark Cosby, former president of CVS’ pharmacy business. Now, the combined company, which operates under the banner of Office Depot, is rethinking its marketing strategy.
In a statement, Cosby cited McCann’s “proven strategic and integrated marketing expertise” as a reason for selecting the agency. The shop also has category experience, having handled Staples’ creative business in the past.
