Mustoe scoops £4m Stena Line

Mustoe Merriman Herring Levy has been appointed to handle Stena Line’s creative account, which is worth up to £4m.

Swedish company Stena Line is the world’s leading ferry company. Mustoe Merriman won the business following a pitch against incumbent J Walter Thompson and two other unnamed agencies.

Stena’s media account has been handed to Total Media, which pitched as a partner agency to Mustoe Merriman. Media was previously handled by MindShare, but it is not known if the agency repitched.

The pitch was overseen by Stena Line’s general manager of travel for the UK, Lars Olsson.

Mustoe Merriman will create a television, press and poster campaign which will break in spring next year.

The work will focus on Stena’s routes from the UK, between Harwich and the Hook of Holland, Fishguard and Rosslare, and Holyhead and Dublin and Dunlaoghaire.

Mustoe Merriman chief executive Nick Mustoe says: “The ferry business has proved to be a fascinating one.”

Olsson adds: “Mustoe Merriman provided us with an outstanding solution to what proved to be quite a complicated brief.”

Stena Sealink spent £23m changing its name to Stena Line in 1996, including a £4m UK brand-building push following the introduction of the modern HSS fast ferries.

Stena also merged its Channel ferry operations with P&O in a bid to combat the loss of passengers to the Channel Tunnel.