BMP faces battle to maintain grip on UK Michelob account
Anheuser-Busch has put the advertising account for its Michelob draught and bottled lager in the UK up for pitch.
The incumbent agency BMP DDB, part of the Omnicom-owned DDB Needham network, has been shortlisted for the pitch, as well as two smaller agencies, though the company refuses to confirm their names. It is thought unlikely that BMP will retain the account.
The move is in line with Anheuser’s policy of using a number of agencies on its brands.
DDB Needham won all the Anheuser work after an international realignment of the account out of D’Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles in November 1994. In the UK, BMP handles Budweiser, Bud Ice and the newly launched Roscoe’s Red, as well as Michelob. In February this year, BMP unveiled its first UK creative work for Michelob, using cinema and TV. Entitled “Delivery Men”, the ads use the strapline: “The secret of happiness is to give Michelob to others.”
The Michelob range consists of three products – draught, bottled lager and Michelob Golden Draft, which are produced especially for the UK market and are being tested in Scotland. Anheuser spent over 2.3m on ads for Michelob in the year to June (Register-MEAL), though with the launch of the new product, this spend could increase.
