This article was originally posted by Adweek.
By Erik Oster
November 15, 2017

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All Nippon Airways, Japan’s largest airline, has selected Y&R New York as its first U.S. agency of record without a review.

Y&R New York will be tasked with growing All Nippon Airways (ANA) in the U.S. market via research and brand strategy (utilizing Y&R’s BAV and BAV Social tools) as well as creative development.

“As we continue to grow ANA in the U.S., it was critical for us to find an agency who has exceptional strategic knowledge and resources, as well as proven creativity that will bridge cultures and drive marketplace results. Y&R’s BAV is a tremendous starting point for us, given its enormous data and analytic capabilities as well as the insights that can be leveraged from it,” Tadashi Matsushita, ANA vice president of strategic planning for the Americas, said in a statement. “We are confident that Y&R will be a great partner to building our connections with U.S. travelers and expanding the horizon of ANA.”

“ANA is not only Japan’s largest airline; it has grown over six decades to be a recognized leader in international travel,” added Y&R global CEO David Sable. “We are thrilled to bring the creativity and insight of our global boutique—[which] is structured to help brands benefit from both local understanding of individual markets and the power of our global infrastructure—to ANA as they continue to build their brand across the U.S. market. We are excited to expand understanding, awareness and engagement with this dynamic brand.”

The assignment expands ANA’s relationship with WPP, as WPP PR consultancy Hill+Knowlton handles U.S. public relations for the client.

According to Kantar Media, ANA spent approximately $6 million in the U.S. last year and around $2.1 million in the first six months of 2017.