Ofgas hunts agency to run consumer awareness drive

Gas watchdog Ofgas is looking for its first advertising agency, to run a 2m consumer awareness campaign.

This would make it the first utilities watchdog to advertise, although the Data Protection Registrar and the Advertising Standards Authority have both run branding campaigns.

The brief is for both above- and below-the-line work and is for a campaign to inform consumers about competition in the gas market in the run-up to deregulation next year.

In January and February, Ofgas tested a local press and radio campaign in five counties in the South. The push, created by Central Office of Information roster agency Ogilvy & Mather, carried the strapline: “Helping you choose the right flame.”

A COI spokeswoman will not reveal which agencies are being invited to pitch.

Last month, Marketing Week (April 10) revealed that the Labour Party has held secret talks with British Gas and other utility companies with a view to allowing them to use their customer databases for piggyback mailing campaigns.