St Luke’s drops out as BBC starts Radio 1 hunt
The BBC has put its 1.3m advertising account for Radio 1 out to pitch after parting company with St Luke’s, although it says the agency will remain on its roster.
The corporation has shortlisted Fallon McElligott and Circus to pitch for the business.
Fallon is a top US agency which set up an office in London earlier this year. Circus was set up by former Bates chief executive Paul Twivy in January. In February, it won the task of repositioning the BBC as a creative organisation.
Ironically, Twivy competed with the BBC’s head of marketing Sue Farr for her present job as marketing director across TV and radio. She is overseeing the pitch for the account.
Farr was unavailable for comment, but a spokeswoman says: “We felt St Luke’s has done good work, but now is the time for a change.”
The review follows the appointment at the beginning of this year of branding consultancy Lambie Nairn to the account for Radio 3, which had previously been held by Saatchi & Saatchi.
The BBC uses Ammirati Puris Lintas for Radio 2, 4 and 5.