BBH lands £15m Capital One brief

Capital One is believed to have appointed Bartle Bogle Hegarty to handle its &£15m above-the-line creative account.

The US-based credit card giant wants to increase its brand profile in the UK and is thought to have hired the agency through the AAR.

Capital One is considering using TV, although it has so far only concentrated on newspapers and “tested” television since the launch of its credit card in the UK in 1996.

It will continue to use direct marketing as part of the advertising mix, although it will not be working with WWAV Rapp Collins

A spokesman for Capital One declined to confirm the agency’s appointment but says an announcement would be made “within the next few days”.

The spokesman says: “We cannot confirm anything beyond that at this stage.”

But he explained: “We want to consolidate our position. We are making a move from a company that uses direct marketing for the majority of its marketing to one which is much more above-the-line.”

Capital One started as an independent company in 1995 and is said to have a global customer base of about 25 million customers worldwide with revenue totalling $3.9bn (&£2.7m). The company claims to be one of the UK’s top ten credit card companies with 1 million holders.

In the US, the company also sells wireless phone and mortgage services.