Nando's agency flies the coop

Cross Colours MD Adelle Wapnick says that the agency chose to resign the account, saying that Nando's is a labour-intensive brand and it is extra hard work to maintain its reputation for quirky, newsworthy and current advertising campaigns. Neither did the remuneration match the input from the agency. At the same time, its use of multiple agencies pitching against one another did not do much for building relationships.

Wapnick hastens to add that the move had nothing to do with chemistry or personal relationships, which she maintains remain warm. She feels that her agency has matured and that after 14 years it had to look to renew itself. She adds that as Cross Colours grew more structured, the account did not, throwing the relationship out of kilter.

The process took about a year, during which time the issues Cross Colours put on the negotiating table could not be resolved.

Wapnick confirmed that no retrenchments would be made at Cross Colours as a result of the move and that other foodie brands have already approached the agency. No new contracts have been signed as yet.

The short media statement released earlier today did not reveal the reasons for the split, merely that it had happened and that Cross Colours were the party to resign the account. Wapnick says this was to address speculation that the agency had been fired.

Updated 25 March 2010 at 1.12pm