Euro drive pencilled in for AT Cross

Upmarket pen company AT Cross has approached a number of advertising agencies about running a press campaign across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

AT Cross’ plans are still under wraps, as is the budget, although the process is being handled by its Paris office.

The company’s agency of record for the UK is Travis Sennett Sully Ross, which claims there are no changes planned for the UK advertising account.

AT Cross advertises in Sunday supplements and glossy magazines and has in the past used TV in the run-up to Christmas.

The company was founded in 1848 and is the oldest manufacturer of luxury writing instruments in the US. In the UK, its products sell from 40 to over 1,500.

The UK market for quality pens is worth about 80m a year, according to industry estimates. But the sector claims buyers are getting younger as consumers begin to value the fountain pen as a status symbol.

Young urban professionals are among the biggest buyers.