MUMBAI: Starcom Worldwide has been appointed the lead media agency for global advertising initiatives by Sun Microsystems from 17 September 2003. The unit of Starcom MediaVest Group has replaced creative agency J Walter Thompson.

The Publicis-owned media group has now taken over the account planning and account management services as well as the global creative management brief. Previously, in April 2002, the Chicago based Starcom had ousted San Francisco-based JWT from the media planning and buying account. Later JWT used to perform on the global account, including briefing the few individual creative shops on Sun's roster.

According to media reports, the Santa Clara-based server and software company Sun Microsystems appointed Starcom because it no longer needed the traditional global agency structure. Starcom is reportedly offered $100 million in spending. Beside, the global account management duties, Starcom will continue to manage the global media assignment it won back in 2002.

Starcom officials say this development "represents a paradigm shift in the way clients now look at media agencies, in that Starcom will now guide Sun's full communications process and appoint creative agencies on Sun's behalf."