Philadelphia Freedom? Mondelez Cream Cheese Brand Pitches Out for Third Time in Three Years

Mondelez-owned cream cheese brand Philadelphia has decided to open a pitch for its pan-European business after just a year and a half with J. Walter Thompson London, according to sources. News of the re-pitch reached the agency a few days ago.

Curiously this is the third time in three years that the brand has held a pitch for a new agency. In 2013 JWT lost the account, after decades with the brand, to BBH London. In March 2015, however, JWT was re-appointed by Philadelphia as its agency of record across Europe. 

The news comes after J. Walter Thompson revived the iconic ‘Philadelphia Angels’ in April this year - and the agency will be re-pitching.

J. Walter Thompson’s relationship with the Philadelphia brand is a historic one; in 1922 the agency won the US accounts for Philadelphia Cream Cheese when it was owned by the Phenix Cheese Company (later known as Kraft).

A spokesperson at a Mondelēz International said, “As common with all businesses we regularly talk with different creative agencies as well as those we currently work with. We are too early in the process to share any further information on the creative work for our Philadelphia brand.”