BDDH picks up £2.2m BHF task

The British Heart Foundation is understood to have appointed Partners BDDH to handle its &£2.2m advertising account, after beating WCRS in a two-way pitch.

The business was held by Abbott Mead Vickers.BBDO for four years, but the agency did not repitch for the account when it came up for review (MW August 1). The first advertising by Partners is due to run in February.

The advertising review is part of a five-year plan to shift the charity’s focus to helping people live with heart disease, instead of concentrating solely on prevention.

Earlier this year, an AMV campaign for the charity, featuring a pensioner with a plastic bag over her head, earned a reprimand from the Advertising Standards Authority (MW June 20). The ASA ruled that the image could encourage copycat behaviour among children.

Last year, the charity increased its advertising budget to &£5.2m to celebrate its 40th anniversary, but the budget will return to &£2.2m for the next financial year.

The charity has been experimenting with a number of different marketing methods this year. As well as investing in direct response television ads, it also made its first advertiser-funded programme for Channel Health. In addition, it continued to work with Tetley Tea, despite criticism of the link-up by the Food Commission earlier in the year (MW May 2).