Al-Futtaim Group has appointed Omnicom Media Group’s PHD as the media agency for a portfolio of its brands, following a four-way market review. Up until Al-Futtaim has used an in-house model. The pitch was a result of the conglomerate seeking to look a different model. The group will now entrust the media communications briefs for its many businesses and brands with PHD to provide a fresh perspective and approach.

The appointment came into effect on January 1 and PHD has already worked on roughly 30 brands. Clearly, it’s a big win for PHD that has added an entire portfolio brands, versus just a single account. It is for this reason that the agency is undergoing a restructure and setting up a dedicated unit for the new business. Though the appointment was made effective only on January 1, the agency has hit the ground running and already worked for some 30 brands.

“This is a particularly significant appointment for PHD and comes as we complete our first decade in operation,” says Elda Choucair, managing director of PHD UAE, in a statement. “It further demonstrates our ability to work with large businesses and secures our place in the major agency league. Though scale was never our goal, it does prove the relevance and appeal of our unique proposition to all types of advertisers, particularly those focused on long-term growth. We will continue to be true to our original proposition of a bespoke agency with digital at the core, as well as our ethos and promise of finding a better way for our clients and partners,” she adds.