Campaign’s weekly roundup has put three very different agency stories in the spotlight this week: Brainlabs’ high‑profile client appointment and regional hiring, Havas London’s continued presence at the centre of controversy over a major fossil‑fuel account, and PHD’s awards‑led run of form. The selection underlines how commercial momentum, creative recognition and reputational scrutiny are all shaping agency fortunes in the current market. (According to the original report.)

Brainlabs’ recent appointment as media agency of record for The Estée Lauder Companies in the UK and Ireland marks a significant step for the data‑led group into prestige beauty. According to Brainlabs’ announcement, the remit covers planning and buying across search, social, programmatic, display, TV, print, radio and outdoor, and the agency says it will deploy proprietary technology and a digital‑first approach to drive growth for brands including Clinique and MAC. The win sits alongside a series of senior hires and regional expansion moves: the company’s own news feed has highlighted new EMEA growth leadership and other senior appointments as it scales its paid‑media and tech capability. Campaign’s roundup flagged the account as one of the week’s notable agency developments.

Havas London’s inclusion on the same list comes with a very different index of attention. Reporting elsewhere documented that Havas’s surprise appointment to Shell’s global media account in September 2023 provoked a strong backlash from climate campaigners and industry critics, who argued the move was at odds with the group’s stated sustainability commitments. Independent outlets recorded that advocacy groups and some partner organisations publicly severed or reconsidered ties with Havas subsidiaries after the Shell announcement. The fallout has included immediate consequences for partner relationships — a short‑term campaign partnership with an anti‑fossil‑fuel initiative was cancelled after the Shell hire was disclosed — and has prompted a formal review by B Lab, the B Corp certifying body, into whether the Shell work is compatible with Havas agencies’ B Corp status. Havas and Shell issued statements at the time defending the commercial appointment; the controversy nonetheless illustrates how agency client lists can trigger institutional scrutiny and reputational risk.

By contrast, PHD’s recent week was defined by industry plaudits. The network was named Agency Network of the Year at the Festival of Media Global Awards 2024, an accolade that reflected a broad haul of wins across territories and celebrated campaigns such as ‘Pink Sky Thinking’ for Warner Bros alongside work for cultural and charity clients. PHD’s own reports frame the awards as evidence of creative and effectiveness credentials that help underpin new business momentum — the type of recognition Campaign also highlighted in its agency round‑up.

Taken together, the three profiles sketch a sector at once buoyed by major client wins and creative recognition, and increasingly exposed to ethical and certification‑driven scrutiny. Industry watchdogs and campaigning groups have shown they will not hesitate to challenge agency client decisions, and certifying bodies are prepared to open formal inquiries where questions of mission and commercial practice collide. At the same time, agencies such as Brainlabs and PHD are leveraging technology, senior hires and award success to broaden their pitches and win scale briefs — a dynamic that looks set to persist as networks chase growth while navigating reputational headwinds.

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Source: Noah Wire Services