Agency wins award after quitting account - 'Yeah Right'

By IRENE CHAPPLE

Advertising agency Young & Rubicam Wellington won an Axis bronze award last night for its Tui Yeah Right billboard campaign - an account it gave up this week after being pitted against M&C Saatchi in a surprise repitch.

The Yeah Right campaign - which has tickled the funnybones of many beyond its young boozers market - is under scrutiny as DB Breweries reconsiders the brand's advertising future.

DB Breweries national marketing manager Mark Jenner said he was disappointed at Young & Rubicam's decision to withdraw from the pitch.

However, he said the pitch process - now only involving M&C Saatchi - would continue, with a decision due early July. A continuation of the Yeah Right campaign had not been discounted, depending on what ideas M&C Saatchi produced.

Y&R has held the account for three years, with Yeah Right gaining acknowledgment for its success in increasing sales.

Jenner said calling a pitch was simply asking Y&R to compete with another agency already in DB's advertising family.

M&C Saatchi holds the advertising accounts for DB's Export Gold, DB Draught and Monteiths. Heineken is held by Blackwood King & Partners, although some of the creative work is done in Singapore.

Y&R managing director Ross Goldsack said the agency decided to withdraw as "we didn't want to put ourselves through it".

The agency was still working through the impact, and Goldsack said he did not know yet whether there would be redundancies.

Meanwhile, Saatchi & Saatchi - also being troubled lately by fleeing clients - wallowed in wins last night.

The agency's Women's Refuge adshel campaign was named named Best in Show. The ads showed images of injured women, with the bus shelter glass smashed as if the attacks had just happened.

The campaign also won the Grande Axis print award and two golds from the eight awarded.

In total, Saatchi & Saatchi collected 23 Axis awards - pipped only by Colenso BBDO, which collected 26. Colenso BBDO also took the Grande Axis in the electronic category.

The industry excellence award went to Ian Gibbons, of the Girl Film Company, and people's choice award to Whybin TBWA's ASB Bank Goldstein campaign.

Gavin Siakimotu, of DDB, won the Axis for emerging talent.