Publicis terminates contract with Scoot amidst creative pitch

Days after calling for a creative and digital pitch, news has emerged that Publicis has terminated its contract with Scoot. In a statement confirming the move to Marketing, a spokesperson from Scoot said it has acknowledged Publicis' termination. Scoot said:“We had always intended to fulfil our professional obligation to Publicis and see through to the end of the contract. Thus, the recent pitch reported was planned in a manner where Scoot fully intended to maintain two retainers and allow Publicis to transition their staff to other accounts while allowing the new agency enough on-boarding time due to the high volume and complexity of our work.”Scoot confirmed to Marketing last week that it was speaking to several agencies with regards to a creative and social pitch. The initial contract is for a period of two years, with options to extend. Scoot was initially looking to conclude the pitch by January 2018 and work will roll out from its next financial year starting April 2018.When asked how the company was planning to expedite its appointment process, Scoot said it is currently working out an interim plan, and is confident that its in-house team, along with freelancers and content producers who it works directly with, will be able to absorb the bulk of the work.“We also work with some smaller agencies who have taken on projects that Publicis was unable to due to resourcing issues, and will explore working with them more heavily in the interim," the spokesperson said.Lou Dela Pena, CEO, Publicis Communications Singapore added, "It has been an absolute privilege to work with Scoot. It has been a great ride, for which we are very grateful. We wish Scoot only the best. As we always say, the future is bright. The future is yellow."The airline has often been lauded for its cheeky campaigns and has worked with Publicis since 2013 for many of its award-winning executions. Last year, the brand landed a hat trick at the fifth Marketing Excellence Awards in Singapore, being named Marketer of the Year for the third consecutive year in front of over 500 marketers.(Read also: Triple win for Scoot at Marketing Excellence Awards Singapore)