Estonia's Isamaa Hires Ad Agency That Previously Served the Reform Party for Parliamentary Campaign
The advertising agency Kontuur Leo Burnett, which until now prepared campaigns for Estonia's Reform Party, will work with the Isamaa party in the upcoming Riigikogu elections. The Reform Party's campaign will this time be handled by the agency Tank.
The Estonian advertising agency Kontuur Leo Burnett will work with the Isamaa party in the upcoming Riigikogu (Estonian parliament) elections. Until now, the agency prepared election campaigns for the Reform Party. The news was reported by Estonian public broadcaster ERR.
Isamaa's explanation
Isamaa Secretary General Andres Metsoja said the party began preparing for the parliamentary campaign right after the local government elections held last October. In those elections the party cut costs and did not bring in a creative partner. Based on that experience, the party concluded that it needs a professional creative team for the Riigikogu race. It met with several agencies and, after weighing the options, chose Kontuur Leo Burnett.
Metsoja said the agency has experience advising several political parties. He added that Isamaa views the cooperation as longer-term than a single campaign, though the focus is currently on the upcoming elections.
The Reform Party's choice
Reform Party Secretary General Kristo Enn Vaga told ERR on Tuesday that this time the party's campaign will be prepared by the agency Tank, which has so far avoided political advertising.
Kontuur Leo Burnett creative director Urmas Villmann said that, because the Reform Party did not perform especially well in the municipal elections, the party did not want to continue working with the agency. According to him, there was no conflict. The agency also did not take part in the competition the Reform Party held to find an advertising partner, believing its skills and portfolio were already well known. Tank won the competition.
Villmann said a group of Estonian entrepreneurs approached the agency after learning that its cooperation with the Reform Party had ended. The agency's only condition was long-term cooperation rather than a short-lived arrangement.
