COI appoints O&M to 2m Minimum Wage campaign

Ogilvy & Mather has won the 2m advertising campaign to raise awareness of a key piece of Government policy – the National Minimum Wage.

The win follows O&M’s success last year, when it beat rival COI roster agencies for another social policy initiative, the Working Time Regulations.

This directive says employees should work a maximum of 48 hours per week on average across a 17-week period. It also provides statutory rights to breaks and paid holidays.

O&M, which pitched for the original business to former Trade & Industry Secretary Peter Mandelson before his resignation, will highlight the new minimum wage rate of 3.60 per hour for all adult workers. The rate is due to become law on April 1.

A COI spokesman says: “The National Minimum Wage is part of the Government’s commitment to basic minimum standards at work… The campaign is designed to raise awareness and understanding among the general public.”

Richard Pinder, O&M managing director, says: “We will be working flat out to communicate this to a lot of people in a short time.”