HHCL parts company with £3m BAA brief

HHCL & Partners has split with airport operator BAA a year after being appointed to the £3m retail account. BAA is carrying out an annual statutory review of its retail account and HHCL says it has opted not to repitch.

HHCL & Partners has split with airport operator BAA a year after being appointed to the £3m retail account.

BAA is carrying out an annual statutory review of its retail account and HHCL says it has opted not to repitch.

The agency won the business a year ago from Bates UK, but has only worked on the brief for six months.

HHCL account director Adrian Coleman says: “We have decided not to participate as we are too busy.”

It is understood that Publicis, which handles another part of the BAA retail account, is also considering not participating in the repitch.

The review is being overseen by Barbara Becket, BAA group retail marketing director, and Andy Davies, who joins BAA as director of retail marketing of airports next month.

Davies, currently WH Smith Travel Retail marketing and buying director, replaces Nick Webb, who has moved to head BAA’s US expansion.

BAA’s business has been hard hit by the abolition of duty-free shopping in Europe, which came into effect in June. The company has been struggling to encourage consumers to purchase goods from airport retail outlets.

The airport operator is looking to the US for revenue growth. Two years ago, BAA acquired the Duty Free International brand and renamed it World Duty Free Americas.