O&M grabs 2m Ragu from APL

Van den Bergh Foods has dropped Ammirati Puris Lintas from its 2m Ragu Pasta Sauce account and handed the business to Ogilvy & Mather.

O&M and APL, which had handled the account for more than ten years, battled against J Walter Thompson. All three are Van den Bergh roster agencies.

A Van den Bergh spokeswoman confirms O&M’s appointment, but adds: “There are no plans to review the advertising for any other brands.”

APL works on six other Van den Bergh brands, including Batchelors Cup A Soup, Flora and Peperami.

Van den Bergh has revamped the Ragu range by introducing new varieties, jar sizes and packaging. It is understood the relaunch is an attempt to steal market share from the brand leader, the Dolmio Pasta Sauce range, owned by Mars division Master Foods.

Dolmio’s annual sales – 55m – are more than double Ragu’s, and give it a 30 per cent share of the 154m pasta sauce market (ACNielsen).

O&M already handles three Van den Bergh brands – Crisp n’ Dry, Delight and Elmlea.

Van den Bergh Foods is launching a brand extension called Cup A Soup Extra containing pasta pieces.

Recommended

Why broadcasters face an uphill struggle to reinvent themselves

Marketing Week

With one exception, UK Gold, the world of pay-TV in Britain has been dominated by a single brand, Sky. But from next month, just as the switch to digital starts to gather momentum, that will change. Another powerful name, backed by a substantial terrestrial broadcaster, will launch into pay-TV, aiming to tap into a market […]

Burnett nets 170m P&G

Marketing Week

Leo Burnett and MediaVest’s joint pitch for the 170m Procter & Gamble UK media business has paid off with the two agencies scooping the bulk of the business.