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Audi of America picked SF-based Venables, Bell & Partners as its new agency of record for its $70 MM account.

The agency's first assignment is the launch of Audi's next-gen TT roadster, with the web playing a prominent role in the campaign, according to MediaPost.

Audi CMO Scott Keogh said Audi needed a new direction largely because it lacks the media dollars of competitive brands like BMW and Mercedes.

"We are dramatically overspent, sometimes five to one, in the U.S., and [Venables, Bell] presented a way for Audi to go to market in a way that's engaging, and will get Audi popularized," he said.