£20m O2 work goes out to pitch

MmO2 is reviewing its &£20m UK through-the-line business following the appointment of Vallance Carruthers Coleman Priest (VCCP) as lead agency for the launch of the O2 brand across Europe (MW January 24).

Incumbents – including Clarke Hooper Momentum, Tullo Marshall Warren and Black Sun – are being invited to pitch for the business along with non-roster agencies in a winner-takes-all contest.

The business – which will consist largely of price-led promotions designed to attract consumers to the company’s retail outlets – is tipped to be one of the biggest accounts of its kind handed to any one agency.

BT Cellnet director of brand and marketing services Garrison Macri is overseeing the pitch. He wants to appoint a “one-stop shop” within the next 30 days so that the successful agency will be able to work alongside VCCP on the campaign to rebrand BT Cellnet and Genie. The O2 brand will be launched on April 2. Macri adds that the brief will also include some press and radio advertising work.

Start-up agency VCCP was last month awarded the O2 launch work, which had previously been slated for Abbott Mead Vickers.BBDO.

The move comes as mmO2 unveils plans to cut 1,900 jobs in Britain and Germany in the next year. It will also close 133 of its 320 UK shops, which trade under the names BT Cellnet, DX Communications and the Mobile Phone Store. It is likely that the remaining shops will be rebranded O2.