We’ve been sitting on this since just after 3pm today but now we’ve received word that after well over three months of searching/reviewing, “woo hoo” brand Vonage (I can attest that Indian folks love it) has shifted ad duties to JWT NY. We received a tip at 3:08 that “[North American CEO David] Eastman & [North American CCO Jeff] Benjamin @ JWT NY just held a town hall mtg to announce winning the Vonage account” and according to the telecom brand’s CMO Barbara Goodstein, this is why: “Advertising is one of the most public-facing manifestations of Vonage’s business strategy, and we selected JWT and Horizon after a very competitive review, in which all of the agencies showed an impressive effort and high-quality work. We are excited to partner with both agencies as we continue to develop new ways to engage consumers through personally relevant, high-impact creative coupled with media that drives efficient response.”

JWT and Horizon Media take over for TBWA\Chiat\Day NY on the creative and media business, respectively. Work from both will commence on March 1. Vox Profero continues to handle Hispanic assignments for Vonage, and Harte-Hanks continues to handle direct mail. From what we’re hearing, the media spend has now increased to $160 million from past figures.

After hearing about this since yesterday afternoon, a spokesperson for Vonage finally confirmed to us before the witching hour last night that it has put its creative and media accounts into review. Here’s a quick statement from the company’s recently installed CMO Barbara Goodstein:  “As our business evolves and the media landscape changes, it is critical to continually evaluate the effectiveness of our advertising and media investment against our future strategies. The competitive environment demands that we engage consumers through personally relevant, high-impact creative with media that drives efficient response. Reviewing our agency relationships will ensure we are teamed with the best possible partners for our future business needs.”

Omnicom siblings TBWA\Chiat\Day and PHD, Vonage’s current advertising and media agency, respectively, have both been invited to participate in the review, which the company expects to complete in January 2013. Chiat and PHD have handled the Vonage biz for three-and-a-half years. Meanwhile, Hispanic and direct mail assignments, which are currently being handled by Vox Profero and The Agency inside Harte Hanks, respectively, have not been affected.

The Holmdel, NJ-based phone service provider has retained Roth Associates to consult regarding the search for its creative and media agency partners.