Butler Lutos puts itself up for sale

Butler Lutos Sutton Wilkinson says it is up for sale and is looking for an agency to merge with in order to boost its profile.

Butler Lutos joint chief executive Matthew Lutos says the agency, which is ranked number 30 in the UK with billings of 38.9m according to AC Nielsen-MEAL, suffers from a “dull” image.

“We have grown this far organically. We now need a merger to grow further,” says Lutos. He blames the agency’s low profile for its difficulty in getting on to pitch lists.

He says the ideal match would be with an agency which has a high-profile creative director, in need of solid client accounts.

Butler Lutos’ client list includes Japanese car manufacturer Mitsubishi, supermarket chain Somerfield, financial services provider Barclays Stockbrokers and the Indian government’s tourism account.

Butler Lutos’ biggest account is Mitsubishi, with billings of 11m (Register-MEAL).

One former employee says: “Mitsubishi is Butler Lutos. Without that account the agency would be lost.”