Pillsbury hands 7m UK business to TMD Carat

Grand Metropolitan’s Pillsbury UK has consolidated its 7m media business for UK brands into TMD Carat.

The 7m account is the entire media business for Häagen-Dazs, Green Giant, Old El Paso, Pillsbury Toaster Pockets and UK-only brand Jus-Rol.

Carat’s win follows a five-way pitch, which included Western International Media – the incumbent on the 3m Toaster Pockets business. Other contenders were: Leo Burnett, the incumbent on Old El Paso, Green Giant and Jus-Rol; Mediapolis, which picked up the media buying on Häagen-Dazs in July; and CIA Medianetwork.

Carat, which was not an incumbent, and Western were on the final shortlist.

Häagen-Dazs is also on the verge of appointing a UK marketing director to replace Dominic Harrison, who quit the company for Bass in January (MW January 24).

EURO RSCG was appointed as the above-the-line agency for Häagen-Dazs in May (MW May 8) after a falling out with the previous incumbent Bartle Bogle Hegarty.

Separately, Häagen-Dazs is understood to be revamping all of its cafés and will advertise them for the first time.