Partners BBDH scoops £7m London Transport

London Transport has appointed Partners BBDH to its £7m account after a four-way pitch.

Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/ Y&R, Abbott Mead Vickers. BBDO and Publicis also pitched for the account, but incumbent BMP DDB declined.

Partners will create advertising for London Transport companies London Bus and London Underground. The agency will also liaise with below-the-line agency Interfocus and its media agency.

London Transport is reviewing its media agency. MediaVest, Motive and Carat are to pitch for the account alongside incumbent New PHD.

Interfocus recently retained the £3m below-the-line account (MW January 20) after a pitch against Craik Jones Watson Mitchell Voelkel, Claydon Heeley and GGT Direct.

London Underground employs 16,000 staff and generates about £7bn annual revenue. It has 2.5 million travellers a day. It is in the middle of a controversial debate about its funding.

The Government’s PPP (publicly-run, publicly-owned and properly financed) initiative would see London Underground retaining control of running the trains, signalling and stations and the safety regime.

Meanwhile, new partners will be responsible for upgrading and maintaining the infrastructure.