A UM source said incumbent Maxus, Mindshare, Dentsu Media Palette and ZenithOptimedia were involved in the pitch. However, Mindshare and ZenithOptimedia denied taking part. Emails and phone calls to Maxus and the Dentsu Aegis Network went unanswered.

Huawei’s association with UM began in early 2014 when the telecom giant selected the IPG Mediabrands agency to make its foray into the Philippines and to grow its smartphone and laptop businesses.

According to Huawei, UM brought a combination of competitive advantages to bag the business, including strategic buying and planning capabilities; creative content ideas from its in-house Ensemble team; and the right chemistry with its strategy and innovation team.

“[Huawei] has been operating in Thailand for 15 years and has been instrumental in building Thailand’s digital economy strategy,” said Kanokwan Kunaruangroj, business director of UM Thailand. “We look forward to partnering with them to help build the brand profile in the country and in turn, transform Thailand to become an ICT [information and communications technology] hub in Southeast Asia.”