BMP wins 6m Scoot account

Scoot, the consumer information service, has handed its creative account to BMP DDB. The account was won after a three-way pitch between Lowe Howard-Spink and HHCL & Partners.

BMP Optimum has also been appointed to handle media planning and buying. Optimum won after pitching against incumbent Carat, MindShare and Western International Media.

A spokeswoman for the company says: “We are now consolidating our strategy in consultation with BMP. No budget has been fixed for the account yet.”

Sources are speculating that next year’s budget could be as much as 6m. However, Freepages, Scoot’s publisher, reported half-year losses of 8.5m in the six months to March 31. Last year, it spent 2.4m above the line, according to figures from Register-MEAL.

Scoot, which gives diallers up-to-date information on such areas as cinemas, restaurants and businesses, relaunched itself in October 1997 with a 10m above-the-line campaign after the company found that awareness of its previous name, Freepages, was poor.

Scoot appointed ex-Deutsche Morgan Grenfell venture capitalist Richard Thackray as its new UK marketing director in June this year.