Fallon quits as AMV closes on £80m BT

BT has parted company with roster agency Fallon as the pitch for its &£80m advertising account enters its final stages.

Sources say Abbott Mead Vickers.BBDO is in pole position to scoop the lion’s share of the business, despite suggestions that BT was set to look outside its roster. It is also thought that St Luke’s will continue to work on some parts of the account.

BT has blamed “differences in opinion with regards to the way the new consumer campaign should be developed” for the split with Fallon, which was appointed to the company’s roster in April 2003.

AMV, Fallon and St Luke’s had been pitching for all of BT’s business as part of a review of the company’s marketing, as exclusively revealed by Marketing Week (April 14).

The review, which aims to find a new “executional direction” for the company, is being overseen by group marketing director Tim Evans. BT asked the agencies to come up with a single brand campaign for all its consumer businesses.

It is thought the company held preliminary discussions with external agencies (MW May 12) and there was a suggestion WPP Group would be involved. WPP direct marketing agency OgilvyOne handles BT’s below-the-line account. Before the review, AMV handled broadband and the calls and line business, while St Luke’s was responsible for the 118 500 and BT Business account. Fallon handled advertising for narrowband, phone books and phone booths.

A BT spokesman says no decision has been made on which agency or agencies will handle its advertising business and will not comment on whether external agencies have been involved.