COLOGNE — Lufthansa has ended its search for its first global PR agency. After a lengthy pitch process, Achtung — which had reportedly already withdrawn from the race — prevailed to land the global brief ahead of Edelman and H+K Strategies, according to PRReport.

The airline started the pitch process in February this year and originally intended to appoint an agency by Easter, but, to the frustration of pitching agencies, changed the brief when the process was well underway.

According to PRReport, Lufthansa has finally, and unexpectedly, awarded the global account to Achtung, which is based in Hamburg and Munich and already holds the European PR brief for subsidiary airline Swiss.

It is thought the account is worth somewhere between €1 million and €2 million.

The move consolidates numerous PR agency accounts around the world for Lufthansa and its brands Eurowings, Swiss and Austrian Airlines, including Burson-Marsteller in Europe and Ketchum in Asia.

Head of group communications Andreas Bartels told PRReport in February: “Overall, the Lufthansa Group is moving closer together, harmonising many processes. We have tendered the budget for the entire group for the first time. We want to work better together, be faster and more agile, even in communications.”