The agency competed against several creative agencies for the business in a pitch run through the AAR. The account will be run from ING Barings' ING Direct arm in London. It is unclear whether a media agency for the task has been appointed.
ING is keen to broaden its portfolio of businesses. This project is thought to be a financial services portal targeted at consumers, although details remain under wraps. ING's Dutch arm recently set up a consumer internet bank in association with Planet Internet, a unit of the Dutch telecommunications company Royal KPN NV.
The appointment of a local agency follows DDB's win of ING Barings' multimillion- pound global advertising account in April, which gave the network the creative account for the company's range of banking, insurance and asset management services across 65 markets.
The hiring came as ING attempts to streamline its brand interests into one organisation. Previously, the $10 million global account for the group was handled by Ogilvy & Mather, with MindShare handling the media. Both agencies won the accounts in March 2000.
VCCP and ING Direct refused to comment on the appointment.
