Accurist to give Simons Palmer 2m?

Leading UK watch company Accurist is believed to have appointed Simons Palmer Denton Clemmow & Johnson to raise the profile the brand name.

The agency saw off competition from Banks Hoggins O’Shea and incumbent Lansdown Conquest – which has handled the account for the past 14 years.

The budget is expected to increase from 1m to 2m, but details of the campaign have yet to be worked out. TV advertising is not thought to be a part of it.

Accurist decided to review its advertising following the retirement of Lansdown creative director Tony Abraham.

Sources say Simons Palmer’s brief will be to increase brand awareness and create a campaign which will get the Accurist name into common speech in a similar way to HHCL & Partners’ “You know when you’ve been Tangoed” catchline.

Simons Palmer has experience of the watch market, having developed Raymond Weil’s Dancers campaign, which is running across Europe. The work emphasises Raymond Weil’s precision movement and is a “one-off” campaign that allegedly does not conflict with Accurist.