Pret A Manger appoints WCRS

Pret A Manger, the sandwich chain, has appointed WCRS to its advertising business.

The appointment follows a four-way pitch against three other undisclosed agencies. The business is understood to include advertising, in-store branding and design. The sandwich company used the AAR to compile its shortlist and to oversee the pitch.

This appointment reunites WCRS with the chain after a four-year break. In 1996, the agency won the account after pitching against Young & Rubicam. WCRS also worked with Pret A Manger on a London Underground poster campaign as part of a recruitment drive.

Ex-City workers Sinclair Beecham and Julian Metcalfe formed the company in 1986. They started the company as a reaction to what they considered the disappointing range of sandwiches then available in central London.

Pret A Manger employs 2,200 staff and has 115 shops across the UK. It is 33 per centowned by burger giant McDonald’s. The chain serves wraps, sushi and salads. All its sandwiches are made individually in the outlets.

Pret A Manger has developed a reputation for looking after its staff: about one in 20 staff has worked for the company for more than six years, and staff are allowed unpaid sabbaticals of up to 182 days.