AMV, DFGW in, Leagas out in BBC roster rejig
The BBC has completed its gruelling seven-month agency review with the appointment of Abbott Mead Vickers.BBDO, Duckworth Finn Grubb Waters and Fallon to its roster. Faulds has been re-appointed to work in Scotland.
The agencies will create ads for BBC’s television, radio, and Internet services and play a key role in promoting director-general Greg Dyke’s vision of the BBC’s seven-channel digital future.
It is one of the UK’s most coveted ad accounts bringing immense kudos, though minimal financial rewards. The corporation is understood to spend about &£12m on external ads, but much of the work will be aired on BBC channels.
The corporation has previously used ten agencies, but decided to slim the roster down to four to give it more focus and cut costs.
Marketing director Matthew Bannister – who leaves next week – favours moving away from glossy all-encompassing corporate ads such as Leagas Delaney’s “Perfect Day” in favour of ads directed at specific audiences. Leagas was not re-appointed, and boss Tim Delaney has slammed the process for being run by “extremely young” people with little experience.
David Grint, the BBC head of marketing and strategy who managed the pitch, was unavailable for comment. But one BBC insider says: “Fallon will continue with youth and children’s work, Duckworth will contribute to strategic thinking and AMV will be working on key projects.”
The appointments come seven months after the statutory review was first announced (MW May 18). Some 40 agencies were interviewed, 14 were visited then two short lists of three agencies drawn up – one containing Leagas Delaney, Duckworth Finn and Fallon, the other comprising AMV, Publicis and TBWA.
