Saatchi beats two to win 8m Vision Express brief

Saatchi & Saatchi has scooped the 8m Vision Express account, beating St Luke’s and Ammirati Puris Lintas to the business.

Saatchi & Saatchi has scooped the 8m Vision Express account, beating St Luke’s and Ammirati Puris Lintas to the business.

The incumbent, McCann-Erickson Bristol, handled the account for three years and declined to repitch. Media buying was not up for review and remains with Universal McCann.

The review was launched in February after Vision Express was bought for 200m by French optical and photographic business Grand Optical Photoservice (GOP) last September. GOP’s agency of record is APL.

The group is aiming to position itself as more than just a high speed one-hour service glasses manufacturer. When the review was called marketing director Des Taylor commented: “We want to move beyond this to make customer service key. We’re going to be focusing on total service in-store.”

Vision Express first opened in 1989 and has 131 outlets in the UK and 84 more in Europe, South America, and Asia. GOP has 140 stores across Europe.

Saatchi & Saatchi chairman Alan Bishop says: “Vision Express pioneered the development of the optical retail brand in the UK and we are delighted to have been appointed to work with them at the next stage of its development.”