Griffin Bacal retains 2.5m Ryanair brief

Griffin Bacal has retained the Irish airline Ryanair’s expanding advertising account which will be increased from 1.5m to 2.5m.

It has been up for grabs again since January and it is believed about six agencies, including Travis Sennett Sully Ross and a number of Irish agencies, were on the final shortlist.

The account is thought to have increased from 1.5 to 2.5m owing to Ryanair’s growing service. Griffin Bacal has held the brief since 1993.

Media, which was thought to have gone to CIA, has also been retained by Griffin Bacal.

The cut-price, no-frills airline, which currently flies between the UK and Ireland, is planning to open up more European routes.

It launched cut-price services between Dublin and Paris and Dublin and Brussels last month.

Ryanair’s marketing and advertising has always focused on its discount fares.

Last year the Advertising Standards Authority complained about an ad which featured a aeroplane hijacking with the strapline: “It’s amazing what lengths some people go to to fly cheaper than Ryanair.”