Yellow Door wins £3m brief for Austin Reed

Fashion retailer Austin Reed has handed its &£3m advertising account to Yellow Door ahead of a relaunch of the clothing brand.

Yellow Door was appointed without a formal pitch, although Austin Reed marketing director Andrew Woodward has held informal talks with a number of agencies over the past five months. The company has previously only used agencies on an ad-hoc basis.

Yellow Door will handle aboveand below-the-line activity for the brand relaunch, set for spring 2003. Woodward decided to overhaul the brand amid growing concern that customers may have outdated perceptions of Austin Reed.

The relaunch coincides with an &£11m overhaul of the retailer’s flagship Regent Street store in London. In-store services are being upgraded to include a bar, personal shopping services, a formal-wear section and a grooming area.

Austin Reed is also expanding its Active Sports clothing range, with the launch of skiwear this season, followed by nautical clothing and a trekking range next spring. The retailer launched a golfwear range earlier in the year and has sponsored professional golfers Darren Lee and Roger Chapman in the 2003 PGA European Tour. Woodward is also planning to sponsor athletes in skiing, sailing and trekking.

Austin Reed’s media planning and buying is handled by John Ayling & Associates.