EDS hands Fallon McElligott £32m account

The Computer services company Electronic Data Services (EDS) has handed Fallon McElligott what is expected to be a &£32m account.

Fallon is understood to have pitched against Grey Advertising in New York, DDB in Dallas and incumbent Bates Worldwide.

Cecilia Stubbs Norwood, EDS vice-president of communications, says: “Fallon McElligott impressed EDS with its ability to understand the essence of our brand and our desire to lead the growth in this fast-moving innovative sector.”

In Europe, the account will be handled by Fallon McElligott’s London office, which opened last October. However, it will collaborate with Bates in the initial running of the account in various European markets.

Agency sources say EDS is set to boost its advertising spend under new chief executive Richard Brown. The company is expected to spend &£9m across Europe before the end of the year. The campaign will take the brand on TV in Europe for the first time, as well as using newspapers and magazines.

Forty per cent of the company’s sales come from outside the US.

The company, which was founded in 1962 by former independent US Presidential candidate Ross Perot, is valued on the US stock market at &£11bn.