Saga appoints O&M to 4m advertising brief

Saga, the over-50s holiday and financial services company, has appointed Ogilvy & Mather to handle its 4.4m advertising account and take the brand onto TV for the first time.

The business was won after a four-way pitch between Bates Dorland, Doner Cardwell Hawkins and The Square.

Angela Horsman, Saga Holidays’ marketing director, says: “We feel the time is right for Saga to include TV advertising in the marketing mix. TV can help us show the scope and nature of what Saga has to offer.”

Tom Bury, chief executive and deputy chairman of O&M, says: “Marketing to people over 50 will become a major challenge as the demographics continue to shift.”

Saga is aiming to build a more dynamic brand and is looking to broaden its customer base.

In addition to holidays, the Saga group produces a range of insurance and financial products. These include home, private and pet insurance, as well as the Saga Visa card. The company has branched into the home gas market, runs a low-cost telephone service and also produces its own magazine.

The Saga group announced the appointment of ex-Channel 5 head of consumer marketing Kevin Coyn as managing director of Saga Services, its financial products division, in October last year.