CINCINNATI and NEW YORK, July 22,
2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Kroger announced today
it has named DDB New York as its official Agency of Record (AOR)
after a historic competitive pitch process. As Kroger's first-ever
creative AOR, DDB will be responsible for developing a refreshed,
stronger brand identity to support the company's vision of serving
food inspiration and uplift through Restock Kroger and
beyond.
"Kroger is excited to partner with DDB New York to uplift
our brand," said Mike Donnelly,
Kroger's executive vice president and chief operating officer. "At
Kroger, we believe that no matter who you are, where you're from,
how you shop or what you like to eat, everyone deserves to have
affordable, easy-to-enjoy, fresh food. This partnership will
solidify Kroger's position as a food authority, further proving to
all of America that Kroger stands for fresh and quality."
As America's grocery store, Kroger will work with DDB to evolve
the company brand as it transitions to become an omnichannel
retailer, powered by four modalities: Store, Delivery, Pickup and
Ship. DDB's work will build on Kroger's history and purpose to Feed
the Human Spirit® with an elevated creative and strategic
approach, deepening Kroger's connection with customers today and
into the future.
"DDB New York stood out for its creativity, passion for our
business and industry, and collaborative spirit," said Mandy Rassi, Kroger's head of brand
building. "Consumers make 221 food-related decisions a day. A
standout brand and narrative will drive more customers to choose
Kroger more often via any channel. Kroger and DDB will work
together to cut through the 'sea of sameness' that has arisen in
grocery retail advertising, thereby supporting our transformation
as a company."
"All of us at DDB are humbled and excited to be named Kroger's
Agency of Record," said Audrey
Melofchik, President of DDB New York. "It is evident that
the Kroger team is as eager as we are to work in partnership to
bring the retail brand to new heights. There is massive creative
potential to be explored within the brand, and we look forward to a
long and fruitful relationship with Kroger."
This new partnership follows the recent news that DDB Worldwide
was named the #2 Network of the Year at the 2019 Cannes Lions
International Festival of Creativity and marks the first major new
business agreement for the New
York agency under Melofchik's leadership.
DDB's first project for Kroger is expected to launch later this
year.
About Kroger
At The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), we are
dedicated to our Purpose: To Feed the Human Spirit®. We are
nearly half a million associates who serve over 11 million
customers daily through a seamless digital shopping experience and
2,761 retail food stores under a variety of banner names,
serving America through food inspiration and uplift, and creating
#ZeroHungerZeroWaste communities by 2025. To learn more about us,
visit our newsroom and investor relations site.
About DDB
DDB Worldwide (www.ddb.com) is one of the
world's largest and most influential advertising and marketing
networks. DDB has been named Agency of the
Year numerous times by the Cannes International Festival
of Creativity and the industry's leading
advertising publications and awards shows. In 2019
DDB Worldwide was named the Cannes Festival's #2 Network of the
year, and the Gunn Report has listed DDB as one of the Top 3
Global Networks for 12 of the last 15 years. The agency's clients
include Volkswagen, McDonald's,
Unilever, Mars, Johnson & Johnson, and the U.S. Army, among
others.
Founded in 1949, DDB is part of the Omnicom Group (NYSE) and
consists of more than 200 offices in over 90 countries with its
flagship office in New York,
NY.
ABOUT OMNICOM
Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE – OMC) is a
leading global marketing and corporate communications company.
Omnicom's branded networks and numerous specialty firms provide
advertising, strategic media planning and buying, digital and
interactive marketing, direct and promotional marketing, public
relations and other specialty communications services to over 5,000
clients in more than 100 countries.
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SOURCE The Kroger Co.