Initiative wins £5m Air Miles

Air Miles has appointed Initiative Media to handle its £5m media planning and buying account.

Air Miles has appointed Initiative Media to handle its &£5m media planning and buying account.

The review was called after Starcom Motive was removed from the account last month (MW June 13), after the agency was appointed to work on rival loyalty scheme Nectar.

Initiative was appointed following a four-way pitch against Manning Gottlieb OMD, Naked and Optimedia UK. There is no suggestion that the advertising account, held by TBWA/London, is to be reviewed.

Air Miles director of partnerships and marketing Charles D’Oyly oversees marketing at the BA-owned company. He joined in April from the position of OgilvyOne client services director in New York, replacing Mary Thomas, who left to move to Leeds.

Air Miles switched retail loyalty partners – from Sainsbury’s to Tesco – last year. Sainsbury’s is now a partner in Nectar, in a joint venture with Debenhams, BP and Barclaycard. The scheme is being handled by Loyalty Management International and WCRS has been appointed to create advertising for the autumn launch.

Air Miles ran a World Cup promotion last month, in partnership with Tesco, to give away more than 15 million Air Miles.

Initiative recently won the European media planning and buying account for Dixons.