Virgin Media Ireland has appointed The Tenth Man as its creative agency following a pitch with Thinkhouse. The incumbent, Publicis Dublin, did not present. The new partnership will see The Tenth Man, led by former Paddy Power marketing boss Ken Robertson, handle creative work across Virgin Media’s broadband, mobile, TV and entertainment portfolio.
The first work is expected to launch later this year. Until then, Irish telecoms advertising has been placed on notice. Robertson said both businesses share a belief that the strongest brands don’t simply communicate with culture, they contribute to it. The new partnership will focus on creating work that earns attention, sparks conversation and drives growth.
The opportunity for Virgin is to create work that people remember, share and talk about
“Virgin is one of the few brands that has permission to really have fun. It was built on challenging convention, questioning category norms and refusing to sound like everyone else. That’s exactly why we wanted this account so bad. Telecoms is full of interchangeable advertising. Faster speeds. Better value. More channels. Everyone saying roughly the same thing,” he added.
Emer McCarthy, director of brand and marketing at Virgin, said that from the outset The Tenth Man showed a deep understanding of what makes Virgin different. “They brought strong strategic thinking, bold creativity and a genuine belief in the power of challenger brands. We’re excited about what we can create together,” McCarthy added.
The media buying and planning account was not part of the review and remains at OMD.
Pictured is Virgin Media’s Lucy Kennedy who hosts Real Life with Lucy
