Rolls-Royce kicks off global creative pitch

Rolls-Royce, the luxury car brand owned by BMW, is reviewing its global advertising business, currently held by Partners Andrews Aldridge.

The account, which mainly covers digital work such as online films and direct marketing, is being reviewed through AAR in a procurement-led process.

Requests for information were sent out last week and Partners Andrews Aldridge is expected to repitch for the business.

Partners Andrews Aldridge has worked with Rolls-Royce since 2008, focusing primarily on CRM, trade events and direct marketing. It fended off competition from Publicis Chemistry to retain the business in 2011.

In March, Rolls-Royce launched a campaign for the new Wraith sports car. The activity included a two-minute noir-style film by Partners Andrews Aldridge. It featured a Wraith, which is priced from £235,000, passing a woman on a misty road at night, with a freeze-frame effect and the tagline: “And the world stood still.”

The film was shown at exclusive events for Rolls-Royce owners in London, Miami and Los Angeles, and has clocked up 267,000 views on YouTube.

In 2011, Rolls-Royce created a global campaign to celebrate 100 years of its “Spirit of Ecstasy” car bonnet ornament, with images taken by the photographer Rankin.

A Rolls-Royce spokesman told Campaign Live: “Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has commenced a pitch process for the global lead agency partner contract as part of a standard statutory review.”

The brand posted record global sales of 3,575 cars last year in its third consecutive annual rise.

Rolls-Royce and Bentley were both owned by the British aircraft-engine man­ufacturer Vickers until 1998, when BMW bought the rights to the Rolls-Royce name. It then set up the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars company in 2003 after a rights settlement with the fellow bidder Volkswagen, which now owns Bentley.

The British engineer Henry Royce and the car dealership owner Charles Rolls founded the original Rolls-Royce Limited in 1904.

  Advertising, Automobile, BMW, Business, Car, Partners Andrews Aldridge, Pitch, Review, Rolls-Royce