VCCP wins Sekonda as its new-business machine rolls on
- 6 days ago
- 2 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
Watch brand Sekonda has appointed VCCP as its creative agency after a competitive pitch — another UK consumer win for an agency that has spent 2026 building a reputation as the market's busiest new-business machine.
What happened
Sekonda has named VCCP its creative agency following a competitive pitch, alongside an accompanying media appointment. It hands VCCP another mid-market UK consumer account and adds to a steady run of wins for the agency this year.
The appointment is a straightforward creative brief for a heritage high-street watch brand — but the pattern behind it is what marketers should note.
The new-business machine narrative
VCCP has quietly become one of the most consistent pitch-winners in the UK market in 2026, from financial-services platforms to consumer brands. Momentum in new business is self-reinforcing: wins attract talent, talent sharpens the work, and sharper work wins more pitches.
For clients, an agency on a hot streak can be a double-edged sword — energy and ambition on one side, the risk of stretched senior attention on the other. The Sekonda win suggests VCCP is still hungry for mid-sized brands, not just marquee names.
Why heritage brands are still buying brand-building
The more encouraging signal is that a heritage watch brand is investing in a creative agency at all. In a year of budget pressure, plenty of mid-market names have shifted spend toward performance and away from brand.
Sekonda backing creative is a bet that distinctiveness, not just discounting, wins shelf space and gift-buying occasions. Categories like affordable watches live and die on mental availability at the moment of purchase — exactly what brand advertising is built to create.
Our read for marketers
Choosing an agency on a winning streak is sensible, but insist on knowing which team you'll actually get. A hot shop's best people are in demand; pin down the senior involvement before you sign.
And take the wider lesson from Sekonda: even in a tight year, brands that keep investing in distinctiveness tend to emerge with more pricing power than those that cut brand to fund short-term promotions.
Quick FAQ
Which agency did Sekonda appoint?
Sekonda appointed VCCP as its creative agency following a competitive pitch, alongside an accompanying media appointment.
Why is VCCP winning so many pitches in 2026?
VCCP has built strong new-business momentum this year across financial services and consumer brands. Wins attract talent and sharpen the work, which in turn wins more pitches.
Why does a watch brand need brand advertising?
Affordable watch brands compete on mental availability at gift-buying and purchase moments. Brand-building creates that distinctiveness, which discounting alone can't.
— Alicia Morris, Creative & Campaigns Writer at Marketing Minute
Even in a budget-squeezed year, brands that keep investing in distinctiveness tend to keep more pricing power than those that cut brand to fund promotions.
When you pick a hot agency, do you know exactly which senior team you're getting?
If you would like to know more about this topic, please contact us on danieln@merxmarketing.co.uk
Sources: Campaign, More About Advertising.
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Written by Alicia Morris, Creative & Campaigns Writer at Marketing Minute
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