O&M loses 4.5m Birds Eye in rejig

Unilever’s Birds Eye Wall’s has dropped Ogilvy & Mather from its agency roster on the European frozen food business. McCann-Erickson is tipped to benefit from the roster rejig.

O&M loses the 4.5m account for Crispy Chicken Dippers and Chicken En Croute, which it handled in the UK. This is in spite of reported assurances from Birds Eye marketing director Arnould Thirion six months ago that the relationship would not change.

The brands are likely to move to McCann which, with Ammirati Puris Lintas, already holds 90 per cent of Birds Eye Wall’s European frozen food business.

According to industry sources, the company is redefining its agencies’ business following the radical shake-up which took place when international innovation groups for food sectors such as chicken and fish were set up (MW December 15 1995). As an example, APL now handles all fish and potato products. The innovation centres were set up to accelerate new product development and aid pan-European launches.

A Unilever statement on the shake-up says: “In Europe, Unilever has reallocated the frozen food business between the principally aligned agencies as a result of the reviewed and readdressed business strategy.”

The decision to slim down the roster comes after the company revealed it was dropping all sub-brands to concentrate on the 700m Birds Eye brand. Lines such as Menu Master, Healthy Options and Baker’s Bistro are being phased out. This has left a question mark over the marketing strategy for the recently launched Pan Flair, a sub-brand which is also likely to be axed.

Birds Eye Wall’s is one of four Unilever companies in the UK to collaborate on a major direct marketing initiative, with the launch of seven targeted magazines (MW November 8).