A shortlist has been drawn up and any shop that made it through is entitled to feel particularly pleased with itself. The RFI demanded answers that reflected B&W’s challenge in the marketplace and showed off agencies’ media know-how. The competing shops rose to the challenge, sending in personalised turntables, Instagram accounts and mobile apps, among all manner of things.
TSB has shortlisted three agencies for its media review after asking contenders to pair up with a content shop. The incumbent, Manning Gottlieb OMD, will pitch alongside sister Omnicom shop Drum, while Dentsu Aegis Network’s Vizeum will go into battle alongside John Brown Media. But will the bank opt for an independent duo? The7stars is also pitching with the content marketing agency Sunday. Oystercatchers is handling the process and the winner is expected to be appointed in mid-June.
Ovo Energy, the challenger utility brand, is on the hunt for a creative agency. It has worked with Wieden & Kennedy for the past 12 months but the shop did not produce any ads before the pair split earlier this year. Fabula created a campaign for Ovo in 2014.
The brand is one of several smaller companies that is trying to break the dominance of the "big six" energy suppliers. Ovo came top in a recent Which? survey based on customer feedback with a score of 82%.
