Ongoing
Centrica held pitches last Friday in New York with agencies hoping to win the British Gas owner’s integrated account. A cross-agency team, comprising incumbents The & Partnership and MediaCom, as well as WPP stablemate Wunderman Thompson, is competing against a McCann Worldgroup-led team and another from Publicis Groupe.
Pitches for the Subway UK ad account are taking place this week. AAR is handling the process. Incumbent McCann worked on the business for 10 years but continues to work on the brand’s European account.
Chemistry meetings for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation are also happening this week. The organisation is looking for an agency to handle its UK creative account. It has previously worked with agencies on a project basis. There is no incumbent and AAR is assisting with the process.
Homebase has shortlisted agencies including Atomic and Fold7 for its advertising business after holding chemistry meetings over the Easter holidays. Agencies through to the pitches won’t be happy with the date, which is currently set to over the half-term holidays (week commencing 27 May). This review is also handled by AAR.
Ferrero held pitches for its pan-European account last week in Luxembourg. The review spans five brands – including Tic Tac, Kinder Bueno and Ferrero Rocher – across European countries including Germany, France and Italy. M&C Saatchi, a Publicis Groupe solution, BETC Paris and one other major holding company is involved.
Agencies pitched for the Premier League’s creative account on 3 May. The body called the statutory review in January. Incumbent VMLY&R decided not to repitch.
Reviews
Thinkbox, which promotes commercial TV in the UK, is searching for a new creative agency after parting ways with 12-year incumbent Red Brick Road. Andrew MacGillivray, Thinkbox’s marketing director, is leading the review and expects to make a decision over the summer. AAR is assisting with the process.
Wins
Dry-shampoo brand Batiste has picked The Corner to work on its advertising and social media business after a competitive pitch run by Creativebrief. The shop pitched against Red Brick Road and Chime-owned Snap. BMB was the incumbent.
Vizeum, the Dentsu Aegis Network media agency, has won the European Capri-Sun account. It will handle media planning and buying in Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the UK. UM previously held the account in Belgium and Mindshare covered all other markets.
Online retailer Beauty Pie has appointed Crispin Porter Bogusky to help grow its business in the UK and launch in the US. The brand previously worked with Above & Beyond on a project basis, but this came to an end in February.
Lactalis Nestlé has chosen Krow to relaunch yoghurt brand Rachel’s Organic. The campaign is due to run later this year. AAR assisted with the pitch process.
