Chicago isn’t known for automotive advertising, so perhaps news that Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) is reportedly adding FCB and DDB to its agency roster could be the start of something big.
FCB Chicago is said to be handling a significant amount of work for Jeep and Fiat, while DDB Chicago is going to be Alfa Romeo’s lead agency in the US, according to Advertising Age.
Jeep, which left GlobalHue last summer, is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. “We have a lot of high-quality material to be featured over this very important year for the brand,” noted FCA-Global Chief Marketing Officer Olivier Francois.
Francois told Ad Age that the company prefers having a roster of agencies that often compete for assignments instead of the agency-of-record model.
“The advertising landscape is now so fragmented, so the needs are fragmented, too. If you multiply this fragmentation with the number of brands that we have to serve, clearly I think the worst answer would be one agency fits all. That doesn’t work.”
Fiat Chrysler’s creative roster includes Wieden & Kennedy, McGarryBowen, Doner Armando Testa and Richards Group. The company also works with Huge, George P. Johnson and UM.
FCA was formed in January 2014 after Turin, Italy-based Fiat, acquired 100% ownership of Chrysler Group. Fiat first bought a majority stake of Chrysler Group in 2009.
Brands include Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Fiat, Alfa Romeo and Maserati. The company ranks as the 8th-largest U.S. ad spender, spending $2.25 billion in 2015, according to the Ad Age Datacenter.
