Philip Gladman, the former Diageo marketing chief, joined the company this month in an interim capacity with a brief to help kick-start its marketing approach.
It is understood that there is no live pitch because Gladman is currently reviewing Hovis’ strategy, but a formal process is expected to begin in the coming weeks.
Gladman’s arrival followed Premier Foods’ decision to sell a majority stake in its bread business to The Gores Group, creating Hovis Limited as a joint venture.
Insiders say Gladman has already started informal talks with agencies about the ad account. The incumbent is JWT London, which won the business after a consolidation of Premier Foods’ account out of Dare and 101 and into JWT and McCann in March 2012. JWT created the "farmer’s lad" spot in 2012.
Dare’s predecessor, MCBD, was responsible for Hovis’ most famous ads in recent years. "As good today as it has ever been" won the Grand Prix in the 2010 IPA Effectiveness Awards.
