Scholz & Friends plans to set up UK operation

German advertising agency Scholz & Friends, one of the country’s few international agencies and part of the Bates Group, has announced plans to open a UK office.

German advertising agency Scholz & Friends, one of the country’s few international agencies and part of the Bates Group, has announced plans to open a UK office.

The move comes only weeks after Scholz’s biggest client Reemtsma revealed its subsidiary Park Lane Tobacco plans to launch premium cigarette brand West in this country.

But the agency could not use its leading client as a foundation for business here, due to the imminent tobacco ad ban.

Nevertheless, Scholz is reported to have expanded its network since 1995 to service the Reemtsma account.

Although it has operated as an independent network since spinning off from Cordiant last October, Scholz reports to Michael Bungey, director of Cordiant and chairman and chief executive of Bates Worldwide.

Scholz has ten offices around the world, and plans to open offices in Paris and Moscow later this year. International clients include BMW, Coca-Cola and Mobil.