…and 4m Whitbread Labatt’s lager account

Whitbread has finally made a decision on the advertising for Labatt’s lager brands, which it acquired in March.

The account, claimed to be worth about 4m, has been handled by Walsh Trott Chick Smith since March but now moves to Whitbread roster agency, Lowe Howard-Spink.

LH-S already handles Whitbread brands Stella Artois, Heineken, and Boston Beer from Samuel Adams.

WTCS managing partner Amanda Walsh says: “It’s not a great surprise. Whitbread is traditionally very loyal to its agencies and so we half expected the brand to move once it was sold to them”.

WTCS handled Labatt’s Canadian lager, Labatt’s Blue and Labatt’s Ice. It was also the agency of record for Rolling Rock but did little work on the brand.

Brewing sources suggest that Whitbread may now concentrate more heavily on Rolling Rock, and target younger drinkers of premium packaged lagers.

Whitbread bought Labatt’s Brewing UK from Belgian brewer Interbrew for about 20m.

Labatt’s marketing directors Matthew Street and Ed Skirl are both leaving the company following its integration into Whitbread.