The Met sets agency pitch in motion

The Metropolitan Police is holding a statutory review of its advertising account, held by Saatchi & Saatchi, and will draw up a shortlist of six agencies to pitch for the business.

The contract is for three years and Saatchi will be included on the shortlist.

The agency picked up the business when it bought Laing Henry at the start of the year, along with its then head, and now Saatchi chairman, Jennifer Laing.

Spend on the account varies considerably from year to year, with Register-MEAL figures for the 12 months to June standing at 265,700.

Agency sources suggest the real spend this year is likely to be well above that, possibly nearer 800,000. This follows the latest work on the account, which involves a campaign for the Met’s anti-mugging scheme, Operation Eagle Eye.

Laing Henry won the business in 1992 when it produced work for the police force’s anti-burglary plan, Operation Bumble Bee.