CHI snatches £2m Expedia ad account

Online travel company Expedia has appointed Clemmow Hornby Inge (CHI) to handle its £2m advertising account, following a four-way pitch against incumbent Euro RSCG Wnek Gosper, Campbell Doyle Dye and Wieden & Kennedy. The review was handled by the AAR.

Expedia called the review at the end of November, following the appointment of Beverly Shaw as marketing director (MW November 26, 2002). Shaw replaced Nickie Smith, who now heads online portal MSN’s subscriptions marketing for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

It is understood that Expedia plans to launch a TV campaign in March.

The review has not affected the online travel portal’s other agencies, which include online advertising agency Arnold Interactive and Media Planning Group.

Expedia launched in the UK in 1998. In October, the company announced third-quarter gross bookings for its worldwide operations of $1.47bn (£916m), an increase of 103 per cent on the previous year. Sales were up by 109 per cent, at $166m (£103m).

Other recent account wins for CHI include RBS Advanta, the credit card division of the Royal Bank of Scotland, in December; Ocean Village, the P&O Princess cruise venture, in August; and supermarket Safeway in July (MW July 18, 2002).