Simons Palmer scoops 6m Fuji

Simons Palmer Clemmow Johnson has won the UK 6m above-the-line account for photographic company Fuji’s consumer division.

The agency picked up the business following a complicated pitch in the company’s European headquarters at Dusseldorf.

Simons Palmer beat HHCL & Partners to the UK account but then had to repitch while the company considered expanding the brief to a pan-European campaign.

A French and a German agency also repitched.

Japanese agency Dentsu and

a European conglomerate of

agencies called Campus, pitched solely for the pan-European work.

The understanding was that if Fuji decided to hire Dentsu or Campus for the pan-European ad initiative local campaigns would be scrapped.

Chairman Paul Simons says:

“We were always very focused

on the local business – but our idea can be expanded to a pan-European campaign.”

Although Fuji seems to have decided against a pan-European drive, it has left the door open. A spokeswoman says: “There may be a Europe-wide campaign at some stage. This has yet to be decided.”

Simons confirms: “We have been asked to think about how our TV plans could be adapted to work across Europe.”

Simons Palmer’s brief covers Fuji’s films and cameras, including its Quicksnap throwaway cameras, and the Advanced Photo System (APS) business.

The APS is a 750m joint investment with four other photographic companies (MW June 28).

Fuji says it will spend 2.5m advertising its consumer range in the run-up to Christmas.

The company’s previous agency was Saatchi & Saatchi, which resigned the account in March when it picked up the conflicting Kodak global professional and printing business, worth 48m.

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