Saatchi wins 20m Lloyds TSB

DMB&B has resigned its Lloyds TSB business after Saatchi & Saatchi was appointed lead agency on the 20m business.

Saatchi’s will handle all brand advertising as the bank rolls out a major rebranding programme to bring all fascia under the joint Lloyds TSB identity.

Ford Ennals, Lloyds TSB group marketing director, says it was inevitable that the company would not be able to retain both agencies on its roster. “DMB&B had the chance to continue in a lesser role, but the key branding advertising will be handled by Saatchi.”

DMB&B has worked on TSB since 1992 and was awarded the first phase of joint branding activity in a controversial pitch in 1997. Lowe Howard-Spink ended its 15-year relationship with Lloyds when it refused to repitch and the account, then worth 16m, was divided between DMB&B and Saatchi & Saatchi.

But DMB&B began to lose its hold on the account when Saatchi’s was handed a development project last year.

Ennals adds: “The development work was very successful and it was clearly work we want to run next year.”

DMB&B managing director Barry Cook says: “It is with regret that we are parting company with Lloyds TSB, but it is clear that the changing circumstances at the brand dictate no long-term future for DMB&B in this relationship.”

A final decision on the centralisation of the 30m media planning account for Lloyds TSB and sister company Cheltenham & Gloucester will be made by the end of the month, according to Ennals. The battle is between C&G’s agency Zenith Media and CIA Medianetwork, which handles Lloyds TSB.

But Ennals adds: “It is not decided whether we will make a change.”

Lloyds TSB is piloting its new joint brand identity in nine towns. The image combines the green of Lloyds with the blue of TSB and a joint logo of a black horse in a green field against blue skies, All branches will be rebranded by the end of next year.