Mother out of C5 pitch after clash with ITV
ITV Digital’s agency Mother has not been included in Channel 5’s shortlist for its &£6m advertising account following conflict thought to originate at ITV.
The shortlist is Leo Burnett, TBWA/London and Leagas Delaney. Incumbent Walsh Trott Chick Smith is understood to have withdrawn from the pitch before the channel’s new marketing director David Pullan drew up what he says is “a top quality shortlist”.
The news that Mother was in talks with Channel 5 is understood to have prompted concerns with ITV’s marketing and commercial director Jim Hytner over conflict.
Although Mother has refused to return calls from Marketing Week on the issue, it is thought that the agency has withdrawn from the pitch.
Hytner says: “I wouldn’t have been pleased [if the agency had gone ahead], but Mother made this decision completely independently of me.” Ironically Hytner replaced Mother with Walsh Trott Chick Smith when he was marketing director at C5.
The long list also originally included Campbell Doyle Dye, M&C Saatchi and Wieden & Kennedy.
Walker Media will continue to hold the media planning and buying account for Channel 5.
Pullan joined Channel 5 from MTV in February and is also reviewing the channel’s onand off-screen identity to project a “fun, but not cheap and tacky” image.
