Green Flag hands brief to Universal

Green Flag, formerly National Breakdown, has appointed Universal Manchester to handle its 5m media buying and planning account.

The appointment follows a two-way pitch between incumbent CIA Medianetwork and Universal. The Media Centre Manchester and TMD Carat had also previously pitched for the business.

The business is mainly short-term, direct response advertising and inserts in the national press.

The review follows the appointment of Eamonn Ferrin as marketing director last October. The company was relaunched as Green Flag with the 4m sponsorship of the England Football team last year.

The relaunch was designed to drop the word ‘breakdown’ from its name and the association with faults that stopped car dealers offering free membership with new car sales.

The company is the third largest car breakdown service in the UK after the AA and RAC.

The creative account, with Leeds-based Advertising Principles, is unaffected by the review.

CIA has handled the account since 1989, when it merged with Billett and Company, which had held the business since 1983.