Vans hires OMD as global media agency of record

While Vans previously worked with Publicis Groupe’s Starcom, this is the first time the brand has brought on a global media AOR, a Vans spokesman said. Starcom didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Vans plans to spend $94 million in its first year with OMD the spokesman said.

Sales falling

“The decision to consolidate external support and identify one global media agency comes as Vans continues its transformation into a digital-first and consumer-centric brand. It will be through this partnership that we will reinforce authentic and meaningful consumer connections while also driving efficiencies and the ability for localization within key markets,” Carly Gomez, VP, global marketing at Vans said in a statement.

The agency news comes a few weeks after it was reported that Vans CMO Kristin Harrer departed after two years in the position. The brand didn’t immediately respond to questions about a replacement.

Vans, one of VF Corp.’s largest brands, is experiencing pressure. Vans revenue fell 13%, or 9% in constant currency, in the fiscal third quarter. Vans revenue in constant currency was expected to decline in a high-single-digit range for the full year, a steeper drop than the prior forecast of a mid-single-digit drop, VF Corp. reported in February.

Despite what VF Interim President and CEO Benno Dorer called an “increasingly challenging” third quarter, he reaffirmed that VF as a whole was projecting 3% revenue growth for the year.

VF Corp., which also owns brands such as The North Face, Timberland, Supreme and Dickies, spent $840.6 million on advertising and promotion in the fiscal year ended in April 2022. That’s an increase from the $608.1 million spent in 2021 and $756.3 million spent in 2020.