Canadian Airlines lines up agencies for 2m account

Canadian Airlines is drawing up a shortlist of agencies for an estimated 2m UK account, held for the past two years by Griffin Bacal.

It is understood that the airline is close to finalising a shortlist. Marketing communications manager Jenny Ruler says: “We are talking to other agencies,” but declines to say which ones.

It is thought that one of Canadian Airlines priorities is to est-ablish an easily recognisable, sep- arate identity from its larger rival Air Canada, as the two are often confused.

Griffin Bacal was appointed in September 1995 (MW September 15 1995) with a brief to launch the company’s business class service, Club Empress. But the airline has spent little through the agency to date.

Canadian Airlines has linked up with British Airways and Qantas in a marketing alliance, though this has borne little fruit yet.

Ruler says there is likely to be more activity between the alliance members, and therefore an increased budget, once the marketing partnership between American Airlines and BA is given the go-ahead by competition authorities.