M&C wins £10m Beck’s UK brief

Scottish Courage has appointed M&C Saatchi to handle the UK creative account for Beck’s, understood to be worth up to &£10m, more than a year after first calling a review.

M&C Saatchi was appointed following a two-way pitch against fellow roster agency J Walter Thompson. St Luke’s, Fallon McElligott, Leagas Delaney and D’Arcy were all eliminated at an earlier stage.

Incumbent Mountain View, which created the last TV ads for Beck’s in the summer of 1999, did not pitch.

Agency sources say the appointment of M&C Saatchi was delayed because Saatchi & Saatchi, which holds the $40m (&£27.8m) Beck’s account in Germany and North America, objected to the possibility of working on future campaigns with the agency set up by Charles and Maurice Saatchi five years ago.

While Scottish Courage is licensed to market, distribute and brew Beck’s in the UK, industry insiders believe the German owners still have considerable influence over the brand’s advertising.

M&C Saatchi will launch its first TV campaign for Beck’s this summer. The agency already holds the &£7.5m creative account for Foster’s lager.

M&C Saatchi chief executive Nick Hurrell says: “It is the highest form of flattery when an existing client rewards the agency with more business. Beck’s beer is an iconic brand and the advertising will reflect this status.”