Eurostar reviews £25m Y&R task

Eurostar, the Channel Tunnel train operator, is reviewing its pan-European advertising account currently handled by Young & Rubicam (Y&R) and believed to be worth £25m.

The advertising is split between three countries: the UK, France and Belgium.

The UK business, which has a media spend of £11m, was consolidated into Y&R a year ago from St Luke’s.

A spokesman for Eurostar confirmed the review, but refused to reveal details of the pitch or which agencies had been approached. Procurement manager Lisa Thomas, who is based at Eurostar’s Waterloo offices, is overseeing the pitch.

The review is also understood to include direct marketing, which is handled by Rapier, but not media, which is bought by Manning Gottlieb Media.

Eurostar is seeking an agency which has network offices in London, Paris and Brussels. The brief will be to create pan-European campaigns, and develop local work for each of the three markets.

Last November Eurostar lost its group chief executive Hamish Taylor, who left to join Sainsbury’s Bank (MW December 2 1999).

A shortlist will be announced at the end of this month. Y&R is expected to repitch for the business.